Espio's Lesson
by AnimeHeroesRule01
Summary: The first in a side series called Guardian Tales that intertwines events from the Dragon Chronicles. This is from Espio's point of view as he struggles to survive the rest of his team and gets entangled in the lives and powers of the heroine and her cousin.
1. The Girl

Another case completed. Another day had come and gone. Espio walked aside his teammates after another... success, he'll call it. It was about late in the evening as they were taking the forest trail back home.

"I still can't believe we got swindled!" Vector yelled.

"I tried to tell you that guy was nothing but trouble," Espio explained. "But once again, you didn't listen to me."

"You should've told me that sooner!"

 _Why do I even bother sometimes?_

"It's cold out here," Charmy shivered as he rubbed his arms. "How much longer do we have to go?"

"Not much, Charmy," Vector said as his teeth chattered. "So just suck it up and deal with it."

The ninja felt the air around him. _Charmy's right, for once. It's freezing out here. But it's summer; it's not supposed to be this cold._ A loud roar echoed in the night, followed by a louder scream.

"What was that?!" Charmy exclaimed.

"It sounds like someone's in trouble," Espio theorized.

"C'mon, boys!" Vector declared, taking a head start.

Charmy and Espio quickly followed behind as a harsh wind started up. But that didn't stir Team Chaotix a single bit. When the wind died down, Espio suddenly stopped and looked to his left. Down at the bottom of the hill, he saw someone on the ground. "Vector!" he called. "Over here!" He went ahead and went to the person's aid. The person happened to be a human girl with fair skin and long brunette hair. She wore a worn out white spaghetti strap top and fleece camouflage pajama bottoms.

"What's up, Espio?" Vector asked as he and Charmy approached. "Who is that?"

"I'm not sure, but she's out cold." He glanced back at his boss. "Possibly been attacked. We need to get her to safety."

Vector picked the girl up, carrying her bridal style, and the three detectives quickly made their way back to their detective agency.

* * *

The girl was laying on the couch, a blanket wrapped around her.

"Who is she?" Charmy asked.

"Well, whoever she is," Vector said, "I'm sure that it wasn't her lucky day today." He stretched and yawned. "Well, time to hit the hay."

"Vector, what if she wakes up and doesn't see anyone around?" Espio asked.

"I'm sure she'll be fine. C'mon, boys."

"Okay, Boss!" Charmy squeaked as he followed Vector up the stairs.

Espio let out a quiet, annoyed sigh. He placed a gentle hand on the girl's forehead. _No fever... but I wonder what could have happened?_ The girl let out a small groan, but made no attempt to wake up. _I just hope that it wasn't anything too dramatic._

* * *

The next morning crawled in. Espio had been meditating all night beside the couch the girl slept on, waiting for some kind of change. Unfortunately, she didn't wake up, but she was still breathing.

"Is she gonna be okay, Vector?" Charmy asked as he and Vector looked down at her.

"I don't know," Vector replied. "She's really out of it."

"She was unconscious the night before," Espio spoke as he joined his team. "Who knows what could have happened." The girl let out a groan, her eyes slowly opening. _She's waking up._

"Hey! You're awake!" Charmy said excitedly.

The girl blinked a couple times... and then screamed. The Chaotix screamed back, only because she was. She quickly got up and grabbed Vector's desk lamp to use as a weapon.

"Calm down, Kid!" Vector yelled. "You're safe! Nobody's gonna hurt ya!"

 _Keep yelling at her like that, and she'll never calm down._ The ninja realized that she wasn't putting much pressure on her left foot. He slowly started for her ankle. She swung the desk lamp at him, but he avoided being hit. Espio reached for her ankle and touched ever so lightly, and she pulled away as if she had a knife sticking through it. _She must have injured herself and probably didn't know._ "If I may ask," he started calmly. "How did you hurt your foot?"

She lowered the desk lamp. "I, um," she quietly stuttered, "sort of, uh, tripped..." Her voice was soft, and a bit shaky from fear.

"It would probably be best that you sit down so that you don't injure your foot more."

She set her weapon back down on the desk and limped back to the couch. She looked at the detectives, very unsure as to where she was.

"Now that our guest had calmed down a bit," Vector said to his team, "we can finally get some information from her." He looked back at her. "Alright, Kid, who are ya? You play nice, I'll play nice. If not, well then, we'll just have to see what happens."

"Vector..." Espio groaned. _You don't say things like that to someone who's nervous._

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding."

"Didn't sound like that to me," Charmy squeaked.

"Who asked you?!"

"Well... I think it might comfort me... if you tell me where I am," the girl asked shyly.

The team introduced themselves to her one at a time, getting a few reactions out of her. When Charmy asked for her name, she just kept quiet. He poked at her leg, asking her why she was silent all of a sudden. Vector thought it was because she didn't have a name, and Espio said it's more likely that she doesn't want to give out that kind of personal information to strangers. She nodded her heard to the ninja, and gave his boss an 'I told you' look.

Espio knelt down and pulled out a first-aid kit from underneath the couch, grabbing some bandages. He knew his teammates well enough to know that Vector, somehow, ends up getting injured, and Charmy, somehow, gets caught in something disastrous. He stood straight up, looking back at the girl. "If I may," he said to her. "You sprained your ankle and it needs to heal."

She nodded in approval, and he gently wrapped the bandages around her ankle. He was surprised that she kept still as he did so. When he was finished, he looked back at her with a bit of curiosity. _Even though running into a human is uncommon, she's been acting as if we were going to hurt her. I'm sure that's what she feels, anyway. Perhaps if we explained to her that she was unconscious..._

"Alright, if you're not gonna speak, then we'll have to try somethin' else," Vector spoke to her. "I'll be asking 'yes' or 'no' questions, and you answer with a nod for 'yes', and shake your head for 'no'. Understand?"

She nodded.

"Good. Now, about last night... When we found you, did you go into some kind of shock?"

She thought a moment, then gave a brief nod.

"Did you see something so horrifying that you thought you were gonna die?"

"Vector..." Espio sighed.

Surprisingly, she nodded at the cocky crocodile.

"See, Espio?" he said to the ninja. "It's just a question, and every one has an answer."

"Not every one," Espio muttered.

Vector looked back at her. "Ignore him. Ya tell him he's right, and his ego's gonna go straight through the roof. Anyway, did you see some kind of hentai tentacle monster?"

She raised a confused eyebrow, shaking her head.

"So then you saw a horrible viscous killer with a horrible smile and a thirst for blood?

Once again, she shook her head.

"Uh-huh..." His eyes brightened, and he snapped his fingers. "So you were out in the woods looking for pages-"

Before he could finish, she strongly shook her head without any hesitation.

Espio quietly sighed. _What does the Slender Man have to do with this? He isn't even real._

"Alright..." Vector let out a quick huff, and then took a deep breath. "Did you see some kind of giant monster flying around ready to kill some prey?"

She instantly froze, shaking in fear, her eyes wide. Charmy sat on her lap. "She's like a vibrating chair," he squeaked. "Not a good one, though."

"I'm... gonna make that a 'yes'," Vector concluded. "You definitely look like something really spooked ya."

 _That's a little more than obvious._ "I think that's enough for today, Vector," Espio spoke. "She's frightened out of her mind."

"Guess you're right." He looked back at her. "You're not exactly a tough nut, Kid, but at least you're honest. One more question: Do you live anywhere near the area?"

Even though in fright, she shook her head.

"Well, Mobius is a pretty big planet," Charmy said.

"MOBIUS?!" the girl yelled, then fainted on the couch.

Vector and Espio glanced at the bee.

"What?" Charmy asked nonchalantly.

"Way to go, Charmy," Vector said. "You gave her a heart attack and now she's dead."

" _Dead_?!" Tears started forming in his eyes.

"No, she's not dead," Espio retorted. "She's still breathing. She only fainted, that's all." He gently shook her a minute until she came to, sitting up again. "See? I told you."

"Alright, Kid," Vector said to her. "Why did you suddenly pass out on us?"

"Uh... well..." she started. "I'm not, exactly... from this _planet_. I'm from a planet called... Earth."

"Earth?"

"Hey, Vector!" Charmy said excitedly. "We were on Earth for a while! Did she come here like how we went there?"

"It could be possible," Espio theorized.

"Boys! Team meeting!" Vector declared, and the three detectives huddled up. "Alright, boys, we got a girl who isn't really happy about where she is right now. What do we do?"

"It's not like we can send her home," Espio said. "And we're not going to send her outside without a plan, either."

"Maybe she can stay with us!" Charmy excitedly squeaked. "Can she, Vector? Can she?!"

"Alright, alright," Vector said. The detectives turned back to the girl. "We have decided to let you stay here until you get back on your feet or somethin'."

 _Well, at least he's... honest enough._

She didn't say anything. She just sat there, looking at her feet.

* * *

Later that evening, Espio was asleep in his bed. He opened his eyes, hearing the door open and close downstairs. His bed right next to the window, he glanced outside, seeing the girl sit on the porch. She appeared to be looking up at the night sky. _She probably can't sleep. I don't blame her. Vector's snoring can keep anyone awake._ He gently opened the window, quietly descending until he was sitting beside her, looking up at the sky as well. "The night is interesting, isn't it?"

She quickly turned in surprise.

"The night interests me because it can do two things at once. The stars tell stories of ages past, show us the constellations, as well as guide us, hence the North Star. It also hides the shadows of danger, making us vulnerable to an attack." He looked over at her. "Why are you interested in the night?"

She merely twiddled her fingers, not meeting his gaze.

 _She seems to be shy. Or maybe it's something else._ "Is there something you didn't tell us?"

She bit her lip. "Well..." she quietly started. "I saw something last night... something really big. I thought... I thought I was dreaming. When it wouldn't go away, I started running..."

"And then you hurt your foot."

She nodded. "When it had me cornered, I thought I was going to die. But the funny thing was, I didn't. It just... disappeared into thin air. I just don't know what would've happened if..." Her sentence drifted away.

"Hmm..." _Something bi_ _g... There are a lot of creatures in the woods. She needs to be more specific._ "What did this 'thing' look like?"

"Well... It was gray with these icy-blue wing appendage things, these piercing yellow eyes, short little T-Rex like arms and stubby legs. It sort of looked like a hollow shell of something."

 _Whatever she ran into last night, she must have hit her head pretty hard, too._ "I'm not sure that there is such a creature like that around here."

"And if that wasn't bad enough, it seemed to give off some kind of cold air."

The ninja raised a skeptical, yet curious eyebrow. "Cold air?"

"Practically if you tried to touch it, your hand would probably freeze off."

"Like I said, I never heard of such a creature." He looked at the sky. _Cold air... as in the changing air...?_ "We should head inside. It's pretty late."

"Yeah, I guess..." The two went back inside. Espio started up the stairs just as the girl laid back down on the couch. _She seems a bit upset. She probably thinks she's alone in whatever had occurred._ He laid back in his bed, his eyes gently closing.


	2. The Wolf

Waking up at the crack of dawn, Espio had awoken. He quietly got out of bed and went downstairs. The girl was still asleep on the couch, lightly breathing. _It's surprising how anyone who gets lost on another planet is able to sleep easily._

A loud yawn from Vector sounded out, followed by, "Another day, another dollar."

The ninja let out a small sigh. He knew the quiet wouldn't last too long, and for a long time he's been used to it. Vector came stomping down the stairs, followed by an ever energetic Charmy flying around. He flew over the girl's head, looking at her, waiting for her to wake up. _If he keeps flying above her head like that, she's not going to like that._ Sure enough, as soon as her eyes opened, she let out a small yelp. _I knew that would happen..._

"Good morning!" Charmy excitedly squeaked. "Are you excited for today?!"

"A-about what?" she quietly asked.

"Glad you asked, Kid," Vector spoke as he sat in his desk. "I was mulling over yesterday's 'conversation' last night, and I had an epiphany."

"What's that?" Charmy asked. "Did it hurt?"

"Charmy, an epiphany is the realization of truth," Espio explained. _I know he's still a kid, but he will have to grow up and learn of this stuff._

"And I realized to make you, Kid, a part of the Chaotix team," Vector said to her. "Congrats."

"You mean... I'll be working here?" she asked.

"I'm not sure if she'll be up for the task," the ninja said to his boss. "She just met us yesterday. It might make her nervous."

"And this is the perfect place to toughen up her nerves," the crocodile countered. "Besides, we can't have her lazing around all day."

"Perhaps lazing around would make her feel more comfortable."

"If I may say something..." the girl spoke.

Espio glanced over at her.

"Yeah, what?" Vector asked.

"Well, I was just wondering..." she said. "If I'm gonna be working with you guys, then I can't wear my pajamas all the time." She pointed to the clothing she wore.

 _She's right. A detective must have some form of decent apparel._

Vector let out a groan. "Girls and clothes," he grumbled. "I'll see what I have upstairs." He went up the stairs, disappearing for a moment.

Espio looked back at the girl. "Don't mind Vector," he said. "He tends to be irrational sometimes, but you'll get used to it." He rethought that statement. "Or not."

Charmy flew up and sat on her head, looking down at the ninja. "Hey, Espio! I'm taller than you!" he squeaked.

"Standing on someone's head doesn't make you taller, Charmy."

"In this case, it does!"

At that moment, Vector had returned, an outfit in hand. "This is gonna have to do until you can get your own clothes," he said to her.

She politely took the clothes. "Thank you," she quietly said. "Where can I-"

"Upstairs."

She started for the stairs, Charmy quickly flying off her head. She didn't seem to notice, Espio thought. The ninja looked at his boss. "I hope you realize you're going to have to be gentle with her," he said.

"Gentle?" the crocodile questioned. "I told her that this detective agency will toughen her up, and I intend to keep my word."

"But Vector, didn't you hear how she talked or saw how she acted? It might be a while for her to meet your standards."

"So? She'll come around, you'll see."

 _Vector is so stubborn. He never wants to lose._

The girl came back down the stairs in her new clothes. Her hair was very messy, and Espio was sure that she knew that. "So, what are we supposed to do?" she asked Vector.

"Well, usually, nothing happens," Vector explained. "We all just sit around bored out of our wits until somebody comes by or calls us."

"Oh, I see..." She glanced around the room, appearing to be in thought. Charmy flew up to her, asking her if she wanted to play a game. She said yes, and they started playing Janga. Espio observed from not too far, seeing her react with the little bee.

 _She doesn't seem to be the least bit afraid of Charmy. Well, he is only a kid after all, so of course there wouldn't be any problems with that. I'm guessing that when it comes to me and Vector, she feels a bit intimidated._

"Careful, don't knock it over," Charmy said to her. The top part of the Janga tower was supported by only one rectangle block, and it was her turn to place a block.

"Ssh, you're breaking her concentration," Espio shushed.

Being as careful as she could, she placed the block, the tower still standing.

"Awesome!" the little bee cheered. "That's gotta be our tallest tower yet!"

The girl uttered a small laugh. Just then, a knock at the door caused the Janga tower to fall over. Espio went to the door and saw Ms. Vanilla standing there, a smile on her face as always whenever she visited the Chaotix.

"Hello, Ms. Vanilla," Espio greeted.

"Hello there, Espio," she said happily. "I trust that you're all well?"

"Actually, we-"

Before he could finish his sentence, he was quickly pushed out of the way by Vector. Vector had the biggest crush on her ever since the ninja could remember, but he knew that his boss would never admit to that. "Why, Ms. Vanilla!" Vector said excitedly. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

Ms. Vanilla just smiled. "Good day, Detective," she said. "I thought today I would..." Her attention drew from Vector to the girl. Espio looked over at her, as well. She looked at the ground as she shuffled her feet. "Detective, who is that girl over there?"

"Huh?" Vector asked distractedly.

 _She must have some kind power she doesn't know of that makes him act like a lovesick buffoon..._ "She's a new member of the team," Espio explained. "We actually found her a couple nights ago. She was unconscious."

"Oh dear," Ms. Vanilla spoke, a bit of worry in her voice. She walked past Vector, stopping in front of the girl. "You poor thing. You must have been frightened to death."

"...You might say that," she quietly spoke. Just then, her stomach uttered a low-sounding growl, making her more embarrassed.

"Dear, have you eaten anything at all?"

"Our food supply is... currently low at the moment," Espio spoke up.

"Yeah, Vector lost the rest of our meal tickets," Charmy squeaked.

Vector quickly covered the bee's mouth. "Quiet, Charmy...!" he said.

"Good thing I decided to come by today," Ms. Vanilla said, her voice happy once again. "I would like to invite you all to lunch at my house. I know how much you all like my cooking."

"Ms. Vanilla, you really are an angel." The crocodile's cheeks started turning pink.

"Oh, Detective, you're too kind." She looked back at the girl. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."

"...Cheyenne," the girl quietly uttered. "My name is Cheyenne."

 _Cheyenne, hm? So that's her name. Not too extraordinary, but not too bland either. It suits her._

"Cheyenne. Such a pretty name. I shall see you all later." The kind rabbit turned around, closing the door behind her.

Vector turned to Cheyenne. "Now see here, Kid," he said. "That was a really nice lady you met, and I don't want you to make her feel bad, or else you'll be answerin' to me. Understand?"

"I know she's nice," she said. "And, I couldn't help but notice... I saw you blushing a little while you were talking to her. Do you have a crush on Ms. Vanilla?"

Charmy started laughing as soon as Vector's face turned red. Espio couldn't help but smirk. _She's pretty quick to notice that. And by that shade of red, I'd say Vector has no chance of winning the argument._

"N-NO! I do not!" Vector stuttered. "She just a really awesome lady who listens to techno music while baking cookies! If that's not awesome, I don't know what is!"

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on. I can read you like a book."

"I can hear you blushing from here, Vector," Espio spoke.

"Shut up, Espio!" Vector yelled.

Charmy just laughed away.

* * *

It was around noon that the team had left for Ms. Vanilla's for lunch. Cheyenne was a bit hesitant to step foot on the forest path, but she was able to make do. She glanced up as she walked, hearing the singing of the Flickies.

"Oh, that's pretty," she said. "What kind of birds are those?"

"They're called Flickies," Espio informed. "They're very common in the area."

"I see." She started nervously looking around. The ninja questioned this a moment until he shook his head. He was sure that whatever attacked her, he thought, it wasn't going to attack her now.

Vector looked at her. "What's up with you?" he asked.

"Just a little... jittery."

He just rolled his eyes. "Oh, relax, Kid, there's nothing here."

Espio glanced at her. _Like she's going to believe those simple words easily._

Everyone had arrived at Ms. Vanilla's, Vector knocking on the door. Instead of Ms. Vanilla herself answering the door, her young daughter Cream was present.

"Hi, Cream!" Charmy happily exclaimed.

"Hi, Charmy!" Cream spoke back.

Just like magic, Ms. Vanilla appeared at the door. "Perfect timing," she said. "Please, come in. Lunch is almost ready."

Everyone entered the house, Cheyenne introducing herself to the little rabbit girl. Ms. Vanilla was so kind as to give the Chaotix food not because she had to, but because she wanted to. Espio was pretty sure that either her or her cooking would always draw Vector to her.

"Oh, yes! Before I forget, there is someone who has been living here for a while now."

Espio noticed his boss's eyes widening a bit. "Really," the crocodile spoke nonchalantly. "Do we know this person?"

"I don't believe so. But he's been so helpful around the house. Tending to the garden, cooking meals, keeping an eye on Cream whenever I'm not home."

Vector's eye started twitching. "Uh-huh, I see. Does he have a name?"

She was about to speak when a dark gray wolf had entered. The ninja looked at him from head to toe, noticing how strange yet unique this character was, from his snout down to his feet.

 _He certainly isn't like any Mobian I've seen._

"Ah, speak of the devil," Ms. Vanilla said. "This is Zephyr Timberwolf. He's from a quiet town called Bridgeport. Zephyr, these are the detectives I told you about."

"Hi!" Charmy squeaked, then flew right into the stranger's face. He scanned him from head to foot. "You're cool looking."

"Charmy, sit down!" Vector demanded.

"Oh, it's fine," Zephyr spoke calmly. "I like kids, anyway." He looked at Cheyenne. "You must be the new detective, yes?"

Cheyenne nodded in response.

"So, Zephyr," Vector said. "How long you been in town for?"

"Only a few months," the timberwolf answered. "Everything in the big city was already taken, so I kept moving until I collapsed around here. Then Ms. Vanilla found me, took me in. She's really lent a hand to me, such a good soul."

"Oh, Zephyr, you're really too kind," Ms. Vanilla spoke in modesty, a small laugh escaping her. "In that case, it's time for lunch. Cream, dear, let's get the food from the kitchen."

"Yes, Momma," Cream replied, following her mother to the next room.

Espio glanced back at Vector. He looked like he was about to kill someone. _I really hope he doesn't try anything stupid... What am I saying?_

"Such a kind woman," Zephyr said in admiration. "If only there were more like her."

"Alright, that's it," Vector declared, ready to strike. "Listen here, pal-"

"Vector, don't do anything brash," Espio said as he tried to hold the crocodile back.

"It's okay," Zephyr calmly spoke. "He's merely jealous that I've been living here with the one he has a crush on and possibly thinks that I'm taking advantage of her kindness, which I'm not. He's also worried that she will fall for me, but she never had those feelings toward me, not once."

Vector relaxed a little. "Alright then," he said. "As long as we're in agreement." Then his eyes widened. "Wait a minute, how'd you-"

"You're like a book. I can easily read you."

"That's what the Kid said earlier!"

 _Don't point her out like that._

Zephyr looked over at Cheyenne, and she started feeling uncomfortable. Seeming to sense that, he looked away from her. Vector nudged Espio with his elbow.

"You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" he whispered to the ninja.

"No, what are you thinking?" Espio whispered back. _This ought to be good._

"I think that wolf guy thinks he has a chance with the Kid."

Espio gave his boss the 'Are you serious' look. "What makes you think that's what happening?"

"Think about it! We meet him and her within 24 hours, and in less than five minutes, he's instantly attracted to her. Can't you see it?"

The ninja shifted his eyes to Zephyr, who was talking to Charmy, then over at Cheyenne who was fidgeting with her hair a bit nervously. He looked his boss right in the eye. "I don't see the connection here, Vector."

"Ya know, just because you're a ninja doesn't mean you don't know the meaning of love!"

That last sentence was spoken so loudly that the three in the room looked over at them with perplexed expressions. "Did you really have to say that?"


	3. Eggman and The Monster

Lunch had finally begun. There was always so much to eat when Ms. Vanilla has guests over. Espio glanced over at Cheyenne as she ate, seeing her steal looks at Zephyr. Zephyr sat there, chatting away with Ms. Vanilla and Vector. _Cheyenne_ _doesn't seem to be comfortable with Zephyr around. He doesn't seem like a bad guy. Then again, everyone has their suspicions._

"Chao, chao!" A Chao with a little red bowtie flew in. It was Cream's pet, otherwise known as...

"Cheese!" Cream joyfully exclaimed, hugging the little creature.

"Chao!"

"What little creature is that?" Cheyenne asked. "It's kinda cute."

"This is my Chao, Cheese!" Cream answered.

"Chao, huh?"

"You don't know what a Chao is?" Zephyr asked her.

"I'm... not exactly from the area, so I'm not familiar with the wildlife around here."

 _A good answer._

"Chao, chao." The little creature pulled out a letter and handed it to Ms. Vanilla.

"What's this?" she pondered as she took the letter and opened it. She was reading the note that was inside until a confused expression crossed her face. "This is unusual."

"What's wrong, Momma?" the little rabbit asked.

A loud explosion came from outside, everything shaking.

"What's going on, Vector?" Charmy asked.

"There's only one person we know who would make a loud entrance like that," Vector replied. "And that person is right outside." He stood up. "C'mon, boys!"

"Okay!"

"Roger," Espio said calmly.

Vector looked at Cheyenne. "You're stayin' here, Kid," he said.

"I thought I was a part of the team," she said in slight disbelief.

"You are! But since you're just a rookie, you're gonna have to stay back. And possibly take a few notes." The three detectives went outside, seeing a horde of robots stomping through the area. "HOLY CRAP!"

"Look at all those robots," Charmy said in awe.

"But what is their intent on being here?" Espio asked, pulling out a kunai.

"Who cares about that? Let's rip 'em apart!" Vector exclaimed, charging right into battle, Charmy following suit. Espio let out a quick sigh and followed his teammates into the fray.

 _Sometimes, they get way too ahead of themselves, especially Vector._

They fought the robots off until the sound of maniacal laughter flooded the air. The detectives looked up and saw Eggman in his little craft, and alongside him was his little henchbot Bokkun.

"Well well, if it isn't the loser detectives," he mocked. "How quaint for you to show up."

"Alright, Eggman, what's your game?" Vector questioned.

"If you must know, _alligator_ , a couple nights ago, there was some strong energy signals in the forest, and-"

"I am NOT an alligator!"

"LET ME FINISH, YOU THICK-HEADED BRUTE!"

"YEAH! LET 'IM FINISH!" Bokkun yelled.

 _Even Eggman and the robot are over-eccentric... If I can even call it that._

Eggman cleared his throat before continuing. "Anyways, before I was so rudely interrupted, there were strong energy signals in the forest on that night, and I intended to find and use it for my Eggman Empire! But when I got there the next morning, it was gone. But I've been able to track it down here, so it can't be too far. I know you three have something to do with it, so confess now, and maybe I'll let you live."

 _Strong energy signals... Could that have anything to do with the changing temperatures in the air that night?_

"We don't know what you're talking about, Egghead!" Charmy yelled.

"Don't lie to me, you little brat, or I shall destroy you and your teammates where you stand!"

"Doctor! Doctor!" Bokkun exclaimed excitedly. "According to the tracker, the energy source is right over there behind that building!" He pointed to a small building.

"Excellent work, Bokkun! This is why you're my favorite henchbot."

Two robots came from behind the building, Cheyenne in their grasp...! _She must have snuck out and wondered what was going on._

"Well well, look what we have here," Eggman said, getting close to her. "A little spy. And a human one at that. How rare."

 _If he so much as touches her, there shall be hell...!_

"Leave her alone!" Vector shouted. "The Kid's just a rookie! She doesn't know a thing!"

Ignoring him, Eggman continued. "Tell me, my dear, do you know anything about a strange power flux that, oh I don't know, has made a major disturbance on the environment? A change in weather, anything like that at all?"

"I... I don't know... anything, I just-" she quietly started.

"So what you're saying is that you didn't come across the supernatural forces that make up the entirety of the world, because it seems to me, my dear..." He chuckled. "It seems that the energy signature I was searching for is inside you."

"M-M-M-Me?!"

"Her?!" the detectives exclaimed.

"Yes her!" Eggman shouted.

 _Energy signatures? What is he talking about?_

"Does that mean you're gonna kill her, Doctor?" Bokkun asked his boss.

Espio tightly gripped his kunai.

"Are you crazy?!" Eggman retorted. "She'll be the power source for the future Eggman Empire, so she must be kept alive."

"You are a psychopath!" Cheyenne yelled. "You would kill off everyone else to create this 'Eggman Empire' and destroy the society that everyone else has built, yet you want me alive just so I could suffer at your hands! You're nothing more than a lowlife with a really bad mustache!"

The ninja's eyes widened a little. _Huh. I never thought she'd yell at him so articulately. I honestly thought she'd be more afraid._

"How dare you!" Eggman yelled back. "I keep my mustache nice and trim!"

"No split ends, either!" Bokkun added. "It's that perfect!"

"You are such a narcissistic egomaniac!" she continued. "And you have too much free time making these robots to have them do their dirty work for you - shoddy work at best!"

"Silence, you brat!" Eggman interjected. "Insulting my mustache is one thing, but my creations are flawless!"

Charmy flew up to the scientist. "A flawless hunk of junk!" he yelled, then stung the mad man's hand.

"YOW! Why, you little...!"

Vector was able to help Cheyenne free as Espio camouflaged, then uncamouflaged himself, blowing up robots one by one. The ninja jumped onto the wing of Eggman's little carrier, glaring at him. "If you ever try and harm her," Espio warned, "it would be the very last thing you would ever do."

A smirk appeared on the evil man's face. "Oh, don't be so dramatic, Espio. I would have kept her alive... for a little while, at least."

The ninja responded with a small, low growl, and took out the carrier wing he stood on, landing on his feet with ease.

"RETREAT! BOKKUN! RETREAT!" Eggman turned the craft around with great difficulty, and the remaining robots retreated with him, followed by Bokkun flying away and laughing.

When the dust had cleared, the detectives looked at the robot scraps spread out everywhere. "Boy, what a mess," Charmy said.

"It sure is," Vector said. "Alright, Kid! You can come out now!"

Cheyenne came out of hiding, not appearing to be injured in any way.

"Now then... WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU STAY INSIDE?!"

 _And there he goes again..._

The only response she gave was a quiet 'I'm sorry.'

The crocodile let out a groan. "Usually, I'd call something like this a rookie mistake. But I'm not sure where to begin."

She lowered her head shamefully.

"Let's just get back inside."

The four of them headed back inside, Ms. Vanilla instantly checking Cheyenne if she was hurt.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Cheyenne said. "I'm not hurt or anything."

"Are you sure you're okay, Cheyenne? We were really worried about you."

"I'm fine. I wasn't scared, really. It was more of a surprise if anything."

"You shouldn't have gone out there in the first place," Vector said. "You could've gotten hurt!"

"She was worried that you guys were the ones who were gonna get hurt," Zephyr said.

"Huh?" everyone asked, looking at Zephyr.

"What do you mean?" Espio asked.

"Basically, it's like this," Zephyr said, then looked over at Cheyenne. "Cheyenne, right? Being a new member of the team, your leader gave you a direct order. What were you thinking at the time?"

"Well..." she started. "At first, I stayed because Vector's my leader and I was supposed to follow his instruction, and that was just one part of me saying to stay and hope for their safety."

"Anything else?"

She thought a moment. "The other part of me wasn't quite as... rational. It said to make sure that my... new teammates didn't get hurt, or worse. That was when I went outside."

 _The instinct to protect. There's nothing wrong with that._

"Makes sense, doesn't it?" Zephyr asked Vector.

"What makes sense?" the crocodile asked. "She disobeyed an order from her leader. How is that supposed to make sense?"

"She acted on her own intuition rather than follow instruction."

Charmy sat down on her head. "What does that mean?" he asked.

"It means that she was doing what she thought was right," the ninja explained.

"Exactly," Zephyr confirmed.

"Well Kid, is that true?" Vector asked Cheyenne.

She took a deep breath. "It's true," she said. "I just felt that something was wrong, and I... I guess you could say I wasn't in complete control." She let out a small, nervous laugh.

 _She didn't bother lying? Interesting..._

* * *

After leaving Ms. Vanilla's home at around sunset, everyone was quiet for a little while, which gave Espio the chance to think.

 _If the changing air temperatures had something to do with Cheyenne's 'energy signals', and why Eggman was following her, it could be that she could be something extraordinary._ He stole a glance at her as she hung her head, looking at the ground. _But then again, things don't quite look like they should._

"Today was pretty interesting, wasn't it, boys?" Vector spoke.

"Yeah," Charmy agreed. "Why did Eggman come out of nowhere like that?"

"I don't know, but he seemed to be interested in the Kid for some reason."

"Don't blame me and my 'strong energy signatures'," Cheyenne spoke up. "I didn't know what was going on exactly."

"Eggman had to have been planning something if he was following us," Espio theorized. "Of course, whenever it comes to Eggman, things are never good."

"Does that guy build robots as a hobby, or does he have so much free time on his hands that he thought one day, 'I know what I'll do with my pathetic life! I'll use my crummy creations to try to take over the world, no matter how many times I'll miserably fail!'" she said, mocking Eggman.

Charmy and Vector laughed, and Espio felt a smile grow on his face. _A sense of humor in someone sensitive. Who would have thought?_

"That's a good one, Kid," Vector said. "But comedy can only get ya so far. It takes gumption, guts, and skills to work in the detective business. And it just so happens that I have all three."

"I thought the only skill you have was trying to sing but failing at it," Charmy said.

"SHUT UP, CHARMY! WHO ASKED YOU?!"

"You don't have to yell, Vector," Espio said. "We don't need any more unwanted attention."

"Relax, Espio. You worry too much."

"Yeah, you worry too much," Charmy agreed.

"I worry the right amount," Espio countered.

"Besides Espio, there's nothin' else that could go wrong," Vector said.

The chameleon face-palmed. "You really shouldn't have said that."

"It turned chilly quickly," Cheyenne said, rubbing her arms a little.

"What the hell are ya talkin' about?" Vector asked.

"Aren't you cold?"

"No, but you're really shivering."

"It could be shock from earlier," Espio guessed.

Cheyenne quickly shook her head. "No, I really mean that it's cold out here. Don't you guys feel the chill in the air?"

"What chill?" Vector asked. "Are you running a fever?"

A faint roar echoed through the woods.

"What was that?" Charmy asked.

"Probably just a wolverine," Vector said.

"That was no wolverine," Cheyenne said slowly. Espio looked at her eyes. They were wide with fear.

"Then what was-"

The roaring grew louder, drawing closer. Cheyenne quickly took the lead. "Let's just keep going."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Vector said, grabbing onto her arm. "What's gotten into ya, Kid?"

 _If she's that jumpy..._ "You're really shaking," Espio spoke, then looked at his boss. "Whatever that was, it's really scaring her. We should head back to the office ASAP."

"Ugh, fine. But if we're about to be eaten by a pack of wild dogs, I don't wanna hear it."

 _I don't think we're dealing with wild dogs. It's something bigger than that._ The group walked a little quicker. Then the ground quaked, making three of four detectives fall. "What's going on?!"

"Look! Over there!" Charmy exclaimed, pointing to the horizon.

A large figure covered the sun, and what landed in front of them was a large gray creature. Espio observed the creature, seeing that it fit the description Cheyenne had given him...!

 _The creature_ does _exist! But why does it come now?_

"What the hell is that thing?!" Vector yelled out.

The monster let out a loud roar, everyone covering their ears.

"It's gonna kill us!" Charmy yelled.

Cheyenne quickly stood up and ran away, the creature chasing after her, and into the tress they went.

"Or... maybe it just wants the Kid," Vector said as he stood, followed by Espio.

"It's gonna eat her!" Charmy exclaimed.

"We're not gonna let that happen! C'mon, boys! We've got a girl to rescue!" The detectives quickly ran in the direction Cheyenne and the monster went.

 _I hope we're not too late...!_

Instead of seeing the monster there, Zephyr was there.

"Kid! Hey!" Vector called as the detectives approached. "You alright, Kid?"

She nodded and said, "Zephyr saved me. The monster seemed to be afraid of him."

"That monster was afraid of Zephyr?" Charmy asked. "That just makes Zephyr even more awesome!"

"It seems you were right about that creature, Cheyenne," Espio said, then bowed in forgiveness. "Forgive me for being ignorant."

"It's okay," she said. "Really."

"I still don't know what that... thing was," Vector said.

"I know what he was," Zephyr said.

"He?" they all asked.

"That creature we all saw... was an Immortal."

"You mean, like, a god?" she asked.

"That's right. His name is Kyurem, the Unknown God, Dragon of Ice. It's said that his dragon form is nothing but a remaining shell from Reshiram and Zekrom's dragon forms."

"How do you know all this?" Espio asked Zephyr.

"I've read a lot of books on Mythology and Mobian Folklore," Zephyr replied. "And it seems Kyurem's making himself acquainted with one of us." He glanced over at Cheyenne, confirming his theory.

"I don't get it," Vector spoke. "What's so special about the Kid?"

"There's nothing special about me," Cheyenne said. "That thing, Kyurem, was trying to kill me because I'm his prey."

"Impossible," Zephyr countered. "I read that Immortals never go after mortal people as prey. That goes against their code of law. There has to be something special about you, Cheyenne, if Kyurem's taken a shine to you."

She tried to say something, but no words would come out. She really had no idea what was going on.

"Until we learn otherwise, everyone would have to take precautions in case Kyurem makes another comeback." He turned to her. "Just try and be careful, okay, Cheyenne?"

"Alright. I'll be careful."

 _So the creature we saw was actually Kyurem. But why would he suddenly appear, and why would he be going after Cheyenne? There must be something here that no one here can actually understand._


	4. Stranger and Stranger

Hearing the door open and then close, Espio calmly woke up early that morning and looked out the window. Cheyenne was going somewhere... on her own. _I wonder where she's going?_ He got out of bed, quietly making his way down the stairs. He knew that if he were to wake the other two... Actually, he didn't know what would happen if Vector and Charmy woke up as he was leaving. Most likely because he'd rather not know. Before he reached the door, from the corner of his eye, he saw a note on the table. He picked up the note and read it.

" _G_ _uys, went out to get some answers. I'll be back later. Cheyenne._ "

 _At least she was smart enough to leave an explanation behind. Vector won't be too happy about it, though._ He went to his usual meditating spot and began, well, meditating until the other two woke up. Even with eyes closed, Vector's tone wasn't all that joyful.

"Where the hell did the Kid go?" the crocodile asked. "If she ran away, we'll track her down."

The ninja opened an eye. "Vector, she left a note on the table," he said.

"I saw the note. 'Went out to get some answers.' What the hell does that even mean?!"

 _Perhaps if you would review yesterday's Kyurem attack, you would know exactly what that would mean... But then again, he never listens, even when I'm just thinking it._

"When's she coming back?" Charmy asked.

Espio closed his eye again. "The note said that she'll be back later, so there's really nothing to worry about."

"I think you jinxed it."

 _...Honestly, I think I did, too. Those two are finally starting to rub off on me._

The day slowly went by, nothing really happening. It wasn't until later in the day that Cheyenne had come back, and Vector was already on her case.

"Kid, where the hell were ya?" Vector asked. "We were starting to think you went and got captured or somethin'!"

 _Since when was I thinking that?_

"Didn't you guys get my note?" she asked back.

"Yeah, we got it, and you missed an entire day of work!"

"Let me assure you," Espio spoke to her, "that nothing actually happened while you were out."

"So what about those answers you were looking for? What do you know that we don't?"

She was silent a minute. "All I can say is," she started, "not everything is as it seems."

Espio opened his eyes, admittedly, with shock. _She's more sharp than I first realized. She must have found the answers she was looking for._ He looked at her, her blue eyes coincidentally meeting his. _I have the feeling she knows a little more than she ever thought possible._

* * *

Four more days passed, nothing really happening. However, Cheyenne's been acting unusually strange, even for her. She's been more quiet than usual, and whenever she did talk, she would say something... Shakespearean. For example, one day, the phone rang and Vector went to answer it.

"You've reached the Chaotix Detective Agency, where our policy is 'We never turned down work that pays!'" he said. "How can we help ya? Uh-huh... Uh-huh... Well, that's certainly interesting. We'll be there right away." He hung up. "Guess what, boys?" Everyone looked up at him. "There's a case having to do with a little kitty-cat stuck in a tree."

"Is that all?" Espio queried.

"That doesn't seem too hard," Cheyenne said.

"But here's the catch: the cat is also attached to some kind explosive."

"WHAT?! What kind of person would put a bomb on a little kitty?! That's so inhumane and cruel!"

"Try telling that to the guy who likes killing animals for fun."

"How can thou be calm?! Ye not knows what that poor creature had done to ever deserve such punishment!"

Everyone stared in surprised silence for a moment. Espio blinked a couple times to process what he had just heard. _That was... unusual._

"...What the hell are you talking about, Kid?"

Her eyes widened a bit, and then quickly withdrew, her face turning red with embarrassment. "S-S-Sorry," she stuttered quietly. "I-I don't know where that came from."

"Anyway... Boys, this is a critical mission. Let's go and save the city!"

"Yeah!" Charmy happily exclaimed.

"Let us be triumphant!" Cheyenne blurted out.

The four detectives ran out the door, making their way to the city of Mobotropolis. When they arrived, a large crowd had already gathered around a tree in the park, a little kitten sat on the branch, a bomb strapped to its back.

"Oh, great," Vector griped. "How're we gonna get past all these people?" Then his eyes widened, his crocodilian face curling into a toothy smile. Espio didn't like that look. To him, it usually meant that his boss has an idea that sounds good in theory, but in the end doesn't always turn out all that well. The crocodile, then looked over at Charmy. "Charmy, you can easily fly right up to the cat! Go for it!"

"Yessir!" Charmy said, quickly saluted, and flew right over the people's heads, reaching the cat. From the ninja's view, the first branch looked to be about 12 feet above the ground. The little bee looked back at his teammates. "Hey Vector!" he called.

"What? Can't you get the bomb off the thing?"

"No!"

"Why not?"

"There's a lot of duct tape on the kitty! A LOT! I don't wanna hurt the kitty-cat!"

Vector remained silent, and then face-palmed. "What kind of moron..." he muttered. He let out a sigh. "I guess we'll have to try and disarm the bomb."

"But there's too many people," Cheyenne noted. "By the time we'd get to the tree, we'd all be blown to Kingdom Come." Her eyes widened, an idea seeming to have formed. "That's it!" She pointed right at... "Espio! You can turn invisible, right?"

"I can camouflage myself, yes," Espio spoke. _How does she even know that? Has Vector been talking to her behind my and Charmy's backs?_

"You can easily sneak past this crowd, climb up the tree, and disarm the bomb. Your ninja power's greatly needed."

"Gee, way to suck up to him, Kid," Vector spoke.

Espio thought the plan over, and after careful thinking, he went into action, turning himself invisible. Whenever he was invisible, he'd be described as 'see-through'. It was easier to be invisible because certain tasks required stealth and precision. He jumped in the air, running across the sea of Mobians, stepping on their heads as he reached the tree. He quickly turned visible again, and climbed up the tree with his ninja skills, meeting Charmy and the cat. The cat had grayish-red fur, its eyes a yellow-green. The cat, was indeed, wrapped up in a lot of duct tape.

"Well, Charmy, you weren't lying you said this cat had a lot of duct tape on it," Espio said. _This cat looks like a duct tape mummy._

"How're we gonna get the bomb off?" Charmy asked.

"We're not getting it off." He pulled out one of his kunai.

"We're not?"

The ninja shook his head. "We're going to deactivate it." Being as careful as he could, he cut off the majority of the duct tape - as well as most of the kitten's fur, but that wasn't his fault - and was able to see the bomb. It looked like one of those bombs that people with life-risking/suicidal reasoning techniques in the movies had. But something about it seemed to be... different. He shook that thought out of his head, as the clock ticked the seconds away, time slowly running out. Espio had to figure out which wire to cut, and hope that it was the right one. There were four different colored wires - red, orange, blue, and purple.

Still holding his kunai, he chose the blue wire, and quickly cut it. The ticking had stopped, and after a long moment of silence, the ninja let out a sweet sigh of relief. Charmy started cheering, and not too long after did the crowd cheer as well. He picked up the cat and carefully climbed down the trunk. Vector and Cheyenne were able to push their way through the crowd to meet up with him and Charmy.

"Nice work, Espio!" his boss said proudly.

"Poor little guy," Cheyenne said to the kitten, which hissed at her when she barely reached for it. "The heck did I do?"

"Maybe it hates you," Charmy said innocently.

"But I love animals."

"Then maybe it hates girls?"

She started to be annoyed, but didn't bother to respond.

"Mission accomplished, boys," Vector said. "Now to find the guy who gave us the job and earn our reward." He went out to find the client as the crowd dispersed from the scene.

The cat started purring in the ninja's arms, affectionately rubbing its head against his cheek. "Aw, that's so cute," Cheyenne said. "The little kitty knows you're its hero, Espio."

"I never thought a little cat could thank me like this," Espio replied, gently petting the creature's head.

"You know, I was so worried and scared for you two that I had to hold my breath. It's just... scary that you guys do stuff like this. Don't you guys ever get afraid sometimes?"

"Sometimes I do," Charmy honestly answered. "But after it's over, it's actually kinda fun."

"What about you, Espio?"

"Fear can be our ally or our enemy," the ninja replied. "I don't have any strong feelings about it one way or the other."

That answer didn't seem to fit right with her question. "Weren't you afraid just now? With the bomb? You were probably thinking, 'If I cut the wrong wire, then we're all dead.' Am I right?"

He blinked, not out of surprise, but out of curiosity. How could she have known what he had been thinking at the time, he thought. How was it possible to interpret a scenario from so far on the ground? There were was really more to her then he had first thought. She was smart, that's for certain, but he didn't know how smart. She wasn't all about her appearance; for a human, she was mildly attractive. Of course, Espio the Chameleon knew that even the most innocent of faces have their darkest secrets.

* * *

Back at the detective agency, the team was worn out from another day. Well, all but one was exhausted. Espio was out on the rooftop, trying to figure out Cheyenne. He instantly knew how strange she was to him, and now there was more to her that might have been deeper down inside her.

 _When we had first met, she barely spoke above a whisper. But now, with a week and a half already have passed, she's already become more open and more aware. Just what kind of girl is she? I know she's from another planet, Earth. Vector, Charmy, and I were once lost there, and now it seems that she's somehow found herself here. Come to think of it, how_ did _she come to Mobius? Was it transportation? Teleportation? No, she would've known she would be coming here. I hate to ask of her personal business... But I have to know._

He crawled back inside through the open upstairs window and quietly made his way downstairs, seeing Cheyenne asleep on the couch. He gently shook her a moment before her eyes sleepily opened and looked at him.

"Espio?" she asked, letting out a yawn. "What are you doing up? You're usually one of the first to sleep, aren't you?"

"I didn't want to disturb you," he apologized. "But something was bugging me."

"Huh?"

"For instance... how did you get here?"

"That's easy." She yawned again. "You guys brought me here."

"Perhaps I should be a little more specific. How did you arrive on Mobius?"

She was a little more awake, for she sat up on the couch. "To be honest... I don't know. I mean, one minute I'm asleep in my warm bed at home, the next minute I wake up, wandering the woods in the middle of the night. It's really scary not knowing where you are."

 _Even she doesn't know._ "I'm sorry for waking you." He quickly bowed and started to retreat for the stairs. But before he climbed up, he turned to face her. "And by the way... I was afraid."

"Hmm?" she asked.

"When I was trying to disarm the bomb. But don't tell the other two. I don't want them teasing me." _Why did I say that?_

"I won't. I promise. Goodnight, Espio." She laid back down, curling into the blanket.

 _Just like that, she promises? I guess either she's warming up to me, or my damn pride made her fearful about the consequences._


	5. The Brooch

Autumn had quickly arrived the next couple of mornings. The leaves were falling onto the grass. Espio was somewhat fond of the autumn. The falling leaves brought the subtle, yet prolonging shift between summer and winter. But Cheyenne was still acting very strange. She looked like she was hiding something, even when she wasn't saying anything. He thought it best to talk with her and see what was wrong. He walked up to her as she was lying on the couch, gazing at the ceiling.

"Is something bothering you?" the ninja asked. "You've been really quiet lately, more so than usual."

Without looking at him, she shook her head. "Nothing's wrong," she said dully. "I'm fine. Don't worry."

 _She's lying._ "I'm not buying that. What's going on, Cheyenne?"

"Nothing."

"Is there something you're hiding?"

"No."

"Then what's the matter?"

She instantly flipped onto her stomach, glaring at him. "You know, I don't care that you're a detective, but it's considered rude to poke your horn into other people's business," she growled.

A bit surprised, the ninja took half a step back. "Uh, I'm sorry. But if you ever need to talk, you can come to me."

She raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Why only you? Why not Vector and Charmy, too?"

"Well... Vector would try to listen, but with his tendency to talk, he'd keep interrupting. And Charmy's just a kid; he wouldn't understand."

Her skepticism faded. "Oh. Well, alright." She rolled on her back again.

 _She certainly is strange. I wonder what-_ A knock on the door interrupted the ninja's thoughts.

"Hey, Kid, get that, will ya?" Vector asked as he leaned back in his chair.

"Sure," Cheyenne replied quietly, getting up and walking to the door. The one there was... "Oh, uh, hi, Zephyr."

"Zephyr!" Charmy squeaked as he flew excitedly toward the wolf.

 _Zephyr's decided to visit, it seems. Perhaps there's something he wants us do to._

Zephyr walked in, took a quick glance around the room, commented on how homey the agency was, and then sat down on one of the couches.

"What can we do for ya, Zephyr?" Vector asked. "Our policy is, 'We never-'"

"'Turn down work that pays,' I know," Zephyr finished. "I just thought that I could just chill with you guys for the day. Vanilla and Cream are out of town for the day and I thought I'd come and hang with you."

"Can he, Vector?" Charmy excitedly asked. "Can he?"

"I don't see the harm," the crocodile replied.

"But what's the reason?" Espio asked. _There has to be some kind of motive._

"Because I have nothing else to do," the wolf replied, "and I just wanted to make sure if she's adjusting well."

"She's still a little jumpy," Vector said, "but she's doing okay."

The wolf smiled. "As long as she's doing well."

The phone rang, and Vector didn't hesitate to answer. "Hello? Yes, this is the Chaotix Detective Agency. Who's this? Uh-huh... Uh-huh..." His eyes widened. "How much?!" He cleared his throat. "Of course. We'll be there." He hung up.

"What's going on, Vector?" Espio asked.

Vector's eyes seemed to greedily glimmer as a toothy smile spread across his face. "Boys, we've got a new case on our hands. Our client lives in the richest part of Mobotropolis, and he said he'll pay handsomely for our services if - no, _when_ we solve it."

"What did he want?" Cheyenne asked.

"Seems that some family heirloom of his went missing and he believes one of his servants stole it. Naturally, he called the right people for the job."

"Who, the CIA, FBI, or GUN?" Zephyr asked, laughing at his joke.

The crocodile slowly shook his head, then looked over at Cheyenne. "This'll be the perfect job for ya, Kid. You'll be able to find it with ease."

"Uh, actually, that might be a bit... difficult," she said.

"How so?"

"Truth be told, I'm nearsighted. I need glasses to see properly."

Everyone was silent.

 _I didn't know she needed glasses. Why didn't she say anything before?_

"If you're nearsighted, then how can you see what's been going on?" Zephyr asked her.

"If anything were to zoom past right in front of me," she replied, "or if anyone's just standing in front of me, I'll be able to see them. Though, it's somewhat blurry a bit."

"Ain't that great," Vector mumbled. "A blind detective. How low have we sunken?"

"I may be blind, Vector, but I can still hear."

* * *

The client's location was in Uptown Mobotropolis, his home a large mansion. Zephyr decided to tag along, for he had nothing to do. That was what he said, anyways. Charmy rang the doorbell, and a servant answered the door.

"Good afternoon," said the servant.

"Hi, we're from the Chaotix Detective Agency," Vector said. "We got a call from your boss about a missing heirloom."

"Oh, yes. Right this way."

The five followed the humble servant inside. The inside was very sophisticated, but that didn't really impress the ninja that much.

"Whoa," Cheyenne breathed in awe, her eyes looking all around.

"Detectives, welcome." The owner of the mansion, the client, came casually strolling in. He was a dark teal colored badger with violet-red eyes. "I'm so glad you could be here. I'm Barrington von Barrington, owner of this magnificent castle I call home."

"Nice to meet ya, Barrington," Vector said, and shook hands with Barrington. "I'm Vector the Crocodile, Private I."

"And the rest?"

"My teammates. Except him." He pointed to Zephyr. "He's a friend to one of 'em."

The client gave a suspicious glance to the wolf. "I see."

"Anyhow, you said something about a missing heirloom?"

"Oh, yes. It's my family crest, the three Tao Dragons."

"What's a Tao Dragon?" Charmy curiously asked.

"I think the dragons have something to do with Yin and Yang," Cheyenne spoke up.

"Precisely my dear girl," Barrington responded. "The Dragon Gods Reshiram, Kyurem, and Zekrom. Their legend is quite fascinating. Anyway, my family crest is on a brooch, which belonged to my great-great-grandmother, and I would be damned if one of my loyal servants have stolen it from me."

"Don't worry your rich little head," Vector spoke suddenly. "We'll find the one who's taken your brooch."

"See that you do. Now if you all excuse me, I'm late for a mani-pedi, and Stacey would be furious if she doesn't see me today. Such a stubborn girl." He quickly passed the group, nearly pushing his servant to the ground as he went out.

"Alright, boys, let's split up and interrogate the entire staff that works in this joint."

"Methinks - uh, I mean, _I think_ that interrogation won't work," Cheyenne said. "Someone might try and run away."

"Then what do you think we _should_ do? Try and be nice?"

She nodded. "Pretty much."

 _That's not a bad idea._

Vector let out an annoyed groan. "Everyone, split up and interrogate. No ifs, ands or buts. Got it?" He quickly went off in one direction, as did Charmy. Espio did the same, leaving Cheyenne and Zephyr alone.

 _Vector should at least consider the idea, just a little bit. Interrogation can only go so far._ The ninja went into the dining hall, the room decorated very luxuriously. But he couldn't stop and look at the décor for too long. He was on a lost-and-find mission, as Vector sometimes called this kind of case. Espio walked into the kitchen, seeing the head chef - a badger with blue-green eyes... who wasn't all that happy to see the ninja.

"You there!" the chef yelled, holding a meat cleaver. "What are you doing in my kitchen?! Are you thief?! Trying to steal secret recipe?! I will not let you live!" He spoke with a moderately heavy Russian accent.

 _Scary..._ "I'm sorry to intrude," Espio spoke calmly, "but I was hired by your boss, Barrington, and-"

"Barrington?"

"Yes, and he asked me and my teammates to help find his heirloom. A brooch."

The chef pondered a moment. "I've seen brooch before. But if you think I have it, you are mistaken. I do not ever take things that are not mine... but he does take."

This raised the ninja's curiosity. "What do you mean?"

"He says brooch has great-great-grandmother's name on, right? I don't believe it. Is nothing but bullshit."

"I see..." He quickly bowed his head. "I'm sorry to waste your time."

The chef let out a hardy laugh. "Nonsense! You are now friend to me, Nicolas! You come over anytime!"

"I'll keep that in mind." Espio left the kitchen before Nicolas said anything more and continued his search. _He was scary... but not threatening. No resentment against his employer, but that clue about the crest not really belonging to Barrington really triggered something._

* * *

After asking a few more employees, he returned to the front hall to meet the others sometime later.

"Any luck?" Vector asked.

"Nuh-uh," Charmy said, shaking his head.

"Negative," Espio said.

"Nothing from us," Zephyr said.

"Well, dammit," Vector said. "I thought I had a good lead, but it was nothing but a stupid joke."

"Uh, excuse us." A pair of twin gray porcupines, a boy and girl, approached. The boy was the one who spoke. "I'm Cecil, and this is Cecilia, my sister. I heard you were looking for the master's heirloom?"

"Yeah?" Vector shot a suspicious look at the two. "What about it?"

Cecil pulled a small brooch from his pocket. "By sheer coincidence, we happened to find this just lying on the floor." He kindly handed it over to the crocodile.

After carefully inspecting it, Vector had one assumption on his mind. "You little thieves thought you could get away with this, eh?"

"I-I beg your pardon?" Cecil asked in confusion.

"Don't play dumb! You're were trying to steal this from your boss! Why'd you do it, out of spite? Jealously?"

"Vector, he handed it to you and said he found it on the floor," Espio retorted. Something glimmered in the ninja's eye a brief second. He looked closer at the brooch, seeing golden letters. He moved Vector's finger aside and saw Cheyenne's name. _What's her name doing on Barrington's heirloom?_ "Vector, look on the back. There's a name on it."

"Don't be ridiculous, Espio. There's nothing there. You're probably just seeing things."

"If I may," Cecilia said. She turned the crest over, and Vector's eyes went wide, and his jaw instantly dropped.

 _He's speechless. I always wanted to see what he looked like speechless, and now I see how funny it is._ Espio showed a small smirk, both saying 'I told you so', and 'Your reaction is priceless to me'.

"Kid, take a look at this," Vector said to Cheyenne, showing her the name.

"What the?" she said in surprise. "That's my name."

"How come Chy's name is on Barrington's brooch thingy?" Charmy asked.

Espio quietly thought a moment, remembering what Nicolas had said. _He said that Barrington had taken the brooch. And Cheyenne was completely unaware._

"Wait until Barrington gets a load of this," Vector said.

At that moment, Barrington had entered. He glanced at his hands. "Ah, Stacey," he said to himself. "Once again, you never cease to amaze me." He glanced at the team. "Ah, my brooch! You have found it!"

"Yeah, we found something else, too." The crocodile turned the crest with the name facing toward him. "Care to explain this?"

Barrington merely stared.

"A pair of twins came to us and handed this brooch to us, and on the back is a name that isn't yours."

The badger's eyes widened, unintentionally letting out a small gulp. "Oh," he said. "That. That name was my great-great grandmother's, before she got married to my great-great grandfather."

"...That is bullcrap," Zephyr spoke suddenly.

"I beg your pardon...?!"

"Your great-great grandmother's real name was Sylvia Maher-Williams. The brooch has the name of my friend."

"This is an outrage! Complete absurdity! I demand that you detectives leave immediately before I call the police force!" He pointed to the door.

"Wait! What about our pay?" Vector asked.

"You don't get a dime! Now leave!"

"Why I outta-!"

"Uh-oh, he's mad!" Charmy squeaked.

"We better get out of here," Espio spoke with a bit of urgency.

The group of four pulled Vector away from Barrington, dragging him outside as the crocodile flailed his arms and yelled all the way back to the agency. The only payment they received was the brooch of the Tao Dragons.

* * *

"This... SUCKS!" Vector yelled, sitting on one of the couches. "I can't believe that rich bastard didn't pay us a dime because of a stupid brooch that wasn't even his."

"Speaking of which, how did your name end up on the back of it, Cheyenne?" Espio asked.

"I honestly don't know," she replied. "I'm still surprised by it." She looked out the window. It had grown dark by the time the detectives and Zephyr returned to the agency.

"It's getting late," Zephyr spoke, standing up from the other couch and walking toward the door. "I should probably head that way. I gotta say. Today was very interesting."

"Aw, don't go!" Charmy said.

"You'll see me around, little bug. You know that." He smiled as he turned to Cheyenne. "I'll see ya later, okay?" He left.

 _That look he gave her..._

"Okay, what was that?" Vector asked her.

"What?" she asked back.

"He looked at you before he left."

"So?"

A smirk appeared on the boss's face. "Don't act like you don't know. It seems you two have a connection." He let out a small chuckle.

 _Vector, please don't question her sexual preferences..._

She turned away from Vector. "We're just friends. That's all."

"Then I guess... you play for the other team, then."

Espio mentally face-palmed. _Oh, God...!_

"SHUT UP, BIG MOUTH!" She quickly turned and threw a pillow at the crocodile, which ended up hitting his snout. "You think you everything, but you clearly don't!"

"Damn, girl," Vector said. "Seems you got a bit of fire in ya, after all. See, Espio? I told you she'd toughen up."

"She yelled and threw a pillow at you because you got her mad," the ninja explained. _It's not like she attempted murder and got away with it._

"Hey Vector," Charmy squeaked. "What did you mean by she plays for the other team?"

Before the ninja or his boss could speak, Cheyenne quickly said, "You'll learn about that when you're older."

"Why not now, Chy?"

"Because I said so. Now go upstairs and go to bed."

"But I don't wanna..." he whined.

"You heard her, Charmy," Vector said, pointing to the stairs. "Get."

"Aww..." The little bee unhappily flew upstairs.

 _Hmm... It seems she did get a little tougher after all._


	6. Ambrosia Tea

The next day, Cheyenne had disappeared. This time, she didn't bother to leave a note. The morning slowly slid into midday, and she hadn't returned.

"The hell did she go this time?" Vector growled at Espio.

"You're mad at me?" the ninja queried.

"You're her friend, so of course I'm mad at you."

"What makes you think that? She never wants to talk to me."

"Or so you assume."

 _What is he thinking now?_

"What do you mean, Vector?" Charmy asked.

"It may not look it, but the Kid looks to Espio a lot more than me or you," Vector replied. "That alone says it all."

The ninja slowly shook his head. _Who does he think he's kidding? It's not like she glances over her shoulder to look at me for any kind of support, guidance or anything like that._

"Shake your head all you want, Espio. The proof is in the pudding."

"There's pudding? Where?" the little bee wondered excitedly.

"IT'S JUST AN EXPRESSION!"

* * *

The day went by a little longer, midday turning into sunset. Vector really started to lose his patience... as if he had any to begin with, that is.

"Alright, that's it," the crocodile declared. "We're gonna go out and find the Kid, whether she'd want us to or not. Boys, it's a search-and-rescue mission! Let's-"

Before he could finish his sentence, the door opened, Cheyenne sluggishly walking in. "Hey, guys," she said, then laid facedown onto the couch.

"Kid, where the hell have ya been? We were just about to look for you!"

"Sorry. Lost track of the time. So... tired..."

"Why are ya tired?"

She perked her head up. "Uh, well... I woke up really early in the morning, so I thought I'd go and take a little walk in the forest. But after a while, I kinda got lost a little bit. Then I met up with Zephyr and we hung out all afternoon."

"Just you and him?"

"Yeah, just me and him... Why do you ask?"

The crocodile smirked. "Kid, you got it really bad."

"What?"

"You and Zephyr hanging out - alone, I might add. It's pretty obvious that you have a really bad, really deep crush on him."

She glared at him. "If I wasn't so tired, I'd punch you..."

 _So that's what happened. But why do I feel that's not the entire story?_ The ninja looked at her for a brief while before heading into the kitchen. The pantries were always so sparse of food. But when it came to tea, no one aside from Espio dared to touch it, so there was always plenty of that. He grabbed a teapot and filled it with water, and placed it on the stove to heat it up. He also brought out two china cups, and placed them on the counter. This was his tactic. If he felt he wasn't getting the whole of the story, he'd brew some tea and interrogate whoever he found suspicious. And right now, the suspicious party was Cheyenne.

The teapot whistling, he picked the teapot off from the stove, pouring hot water into the cups. He got out two tea packets, placing one into each cup, the water turning from clear to a maple brown. Ambrosia tea was his favorite, and it thus helped him with situations like this. He removed the packets after a few minutes, moved the cups to a tray, and then picked up the tray and headed back out to the main office. Vector and Charmy saw the two cups of tea and were instantly worried. They knew the ninja meant business whenever the tea comes to play. Cheyenne didn't know that... yet.

Before Espio approached her, he kindly asked his teammates, "Could you two please leave us be?"

Without hesitation, they quickly went into the kitchen. Espio knew that they would listen in on the private 'conversation', but he didn't care. He wanted answers, and he was going to get them.

Cheyenne glanced up at the ninja, seeing the two cups. "What's this?" she asked curiously.

"Ambrosia tea," Espio replied casually. "I thought you might like it." He placed the tray down onto the coffee table. When she had her fingers around one of the cups, she quickly pulled back. "I forgot to mention that it's freshly brewed, so it may be a little hot." He grabbed the other cup with ease.

"How could you hold a hot cup that easily?" she asked.

"I'm cold-blooded. Nothing's too hot for me." He took a slow, steady sip. "Of course, you probably know that already."

"No, actually. I thought Vector was the only cold-blooded one here." She sat up and picked up her cup, this time with both hands. "Speaking of which, why are Vector and Charmy hiding in the kitchen?"

"What makes you think they're hiding?"

She gave him an 'Are you serious' look. "I heard you say, 'Could you two please leave us be?', and just like that, they made a beeline for the kitchen. I heard Charmy fly by, and Vector's loud footsteps weren't exactly hard to miss."

 _Damn. She's sharp. Keep calm._ "Let's just keep our focus away from Vector and Charmy. Please, drink some tea. It will calm your nerves."

Cheyenne eyed him suspiciously, but took a small sip of tea anyway. "Is there something you wanna talk about? Is that why you made this tea?"

 _Urk...! Keep calm, Espio. She's only guessing._ "I just simply thought that this would help with rejuvenation, that's all."

"Right... If you think you're gonna get me to talk, you're sorely mistaken."

A small smirk appeared on the ninja's face. _The tea's starting to take affect._ "And why is that?"

"Because I have nothing to talk about, and you're not going to get me to speak." Espio's smirk faded. "Zephyr told me about a technique like this. People of the Orientals use the ambrosia tea tactic to make their opponents speak their minds without intending to do so. You must have learned this from someone and decided to use it for this kind of purpose."

Espio's eyes widened in shock. _...That's impossible! There's no way Zephyr would know something like that!_ He blinked. _Wait. This is just the tea talking. Don't lose it._ His face returned to normal, his smirk appearing once more. "You may be right about that, but the ambrosia in my tea is a little more subtle. It's not like the stronger ambrosia tea that makes you go insane."

She glanced down into her tea, let out a sigh, and placed the cup back onto the tray. "Espio, I don't like these mind games. I know you're suspicious about me, that I understand. But to go so far as to use some drug-induced tea to get me to talk is taking things too far." Tears started forming in her eyes. "You must really hate me to try something like this."

The ninja was taken aback by that statement. He didn't intend to hurt her feelings. Nevertheless, he felt bad. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I just... I mean..."

She wiped her eyes. "It's alright... I just don't like friends betraying me."

He blinked. "You... consider me a friend?"

She showed a small smile. "Of course. I consider Vector and Charmy friends, too. I'd rather not lose you guys."

 _After what I did, she forgives me...?_ "Cheyenne... I don't know what to say."

"That's okay. I know you're not the most social of the team." She took a deep breath. "I'm pretty tired, so I think I'll get to sleep early." She laid down, closed her eyes, and gently drifted to sleep.

 _She's actually... friendly. And to call me her friend..._ Shaking the thought out of his head, he picked up the tray and went back into the kitchen. When he walked past Vector and Charmy, the crocodile had a smug look on his face. "What's with the look?" the ninja asked.

"See? What'd I tell ya?" Vector said. "I told ya she looked up to ya!"

"She said she considered me a friend, not that she looked up to me." He emptied out the tea cups and teapot over the sink. "Besides, my little tactic didn't seem to faze her that much. It's almost like she's immune."

"Immune, eh? That's a first. That tea of yours usually does the trick."

 _I'll say. I was the one who was about to go crazy._

"I guess she's a tough nut, after all. I'm gonna go congratulate her." Vector was about to head out until Espio stopped him.

"I wouldn't. She's asleep. Perhaps tomorrow."

The crocodile let out a sigh. "I guess it can wait. C'mon, Charmy, let's get some shut eye, too."

"Sure thing, Boss!" Charmy squeaked. The two left the kitchen, leaving Espio alone once more.

The ninja quietly sighed as he put his tea set away. _Another day come and gone. Another day of surviving my team. Another day... figuring a girl out._

* * *

Later that evening, Espio couldn't sleep. Usually, he'd sleep very soundly - even through Vector's loud, insufferable snoring. Unfortunately, his thoughts kept him awake as he tossed and turned in his bed. Also, Charmy was hovering over his bed for some odd reason.

"Espio," Charmy said sleepily. "I had a nightmare. Can I bunk with you? I asked Vector, but he was snoring too loud."

The ninja didn't bother to look up. _Maybe if I don't respond, he might leave me alone._

"Espio?" He paused. "Fine. I'll ask Chy if I can sleep with her." He flew downstairs.

 _You think she might actually...?_ Espio got up and listened from the stairs.

"Chy?" he heard Charmy squeak.

"Yeah?" Cheyenne quietly replied.

"...I had a nightmare. Can I sleep with you?"

"Oh, poor thing, of course. But why'd you come to me?"

"Vector's snoring too loud and Espio's ignoring me."

She let out a sigh. "Alright, let's get you settled."

 _She's actually letting him bunk with her... But not on the same couch, probably._

"Here, Charmy. You can sleep on the other couch."

"But I wanna sleep next to you," Charmy whined.

Once more, Cheyenne let out a sigh. "Okay, okay. Come here."

 _That didn't take much._ Espio let out a quiet sigh and returned to his bed as Vector snored away.

* * *

The ninja woke up as the sun rose into the room. He stretched a little and went downstairs. After descending the stairs, he saw Charmy fast asleep on the couch next to a sleeping Cheyenne, her arms gently holding onto the little bee. Espio couldn't help but smile a little. It was actually kind of... cute. Almost like a little boy sleeping in the arms of a protective older sister. He went to his usual meditating spot and waited as Vector got up not too long after.

"Hey Espio," the crocodile asked as he came down the stairs. "Have you seen Charmy? I found his bed empty."

The ninja opened an eye. "Yes, I have. Look on the couch."

Vector turned and saw Charmy and Cheyenne. "What the hell?" He started poking at Cheyenne's forehead. "Hey."

 _Oh, brother..._ He closed his eye again.

"Hey, Kid, wake up."

"What?" she groaned.

"You wanna explain what the hell this is?"

"Charmy said he had a nightmare last night. He said that you were snoring too loud and Espio was ignoring him, so he wanted to cuddle with me."

"That's a lie. I don't snore."

"Thou art the liar!"

"The hell are you talking about, Kid?"

"Ye knows-" She cleared her throat a little. "You know exactly what I mean! You just choose not to say anything to cover it with."

"Whatever." Vector footsteps stopped at the desk, the chair creaking as he sat back into it. Cheyenne let out a heavy sigh.

"Don't mind Vector too much," Espio spoke. He felt a smirk spread on his face. "He's merely jealous that a lovely lady never cuddled with him." _...And why did I say that?_

"That's not true!" Vector opposed. "I have a way with the ladies that makes 'em want me."

"What way is that," she asked the crocodile. "Saying they're guilty for stealing your heart? That is one of the worst one-line clichés I've ever heard." She paused. "Hey, uh, what time is it?"

"About 9:30," the ninja answered.

"Oh crap, I'm late!" She got off the couch without waking Charmy, got herself ready, and quickly went out the door. Espio opened his eyes, watching her run into the forest as fast as she could.

"I wonder where she's going?" Espio pondered.

"I think I know," Vector answered, "and it's to see Zephyr." He laughed a little. "She can deny all she wants, but she's got it bad for that guy."

A small yawn came from the couch. Charmy had woken up. "Morning, guys," he said, rubbing his eyes. He quickly looked around. "Hey, where'd Chy go?"

"Charmy, ya should've seen how fast she went out the door. I think she's late for a very important date."


	7. Vector Fans the Flames

A few weeks went by, the fall progressing more and more. Cheyenne would always leave early in the morning and be back around sunset - unless there was a mission. This new behavior made Espio all the more suspicious. He thought about trying the tea again, but he had an idea about what may happen if he did, and didn't like it one bit. He remained silent, but gave her questioning looks from time to time. The look she would give back was a reassuring, 'Don't worry, everything's fine; there's nothing to worry about.' The ninja knew he had to bide his time and wait.

One day, there was a knock at the door, and Vector went to answer. At the door was Zephyr, and with him was Cream.

"Hey, Zephyr," Vector said. "What's up?"

"Hey Vector, Ms. Vanilla asked me to watch Cream for the day while she's out of town," the wolf replied. "Would it be alright if we hung out here? And perhaps Charmy would have a little playmate?"

"Can they stay, Vector?!" Charmy excitedly asked. "Please?!"

"Alright, alright," Vector said. "Come on in, you two."

"Thank you for having us over, Mr. Vector," Cream said as she and Zephyr walked in.

"Naw, you're too kind, just like your mom."

Espio smiled a little. _I don't say it often, but Cream is a good girl. Not an evil bone within her. ...Although, it's thoughts like that that make me question my social skills._ Charmy and Cream were playing a board game, and Zephyr and Vector were having a conversation. Espio remained secluded in his meditating spot. _Perhaps if Cheyenne was here, we'd have a little conversation of our own. But since she isn't, I'll just listen._

"Hey Vector, you know where Cheyenne is?" Zephyr asked.

"Hell if I knew," Vector replied. "She gets up earlier than Espio and heads out the door, and doesn't come back till the sun starts setting. Of course, when you're in love, ya do crazy things."

"Wh... What are you talking about?"

"Ya know, between you and me, the Kid's got a bad crush on someone. And that someone just happens to be you."

"M-Me? Really?"

"Vector, don't raise his hopes," Espio said. "I think he would know something like that." _And I'm sure Zephyr would know something like that, since he 'knows' about the tea._

"...You know, to be honest, it's not me that's caught her attention."

The ninja opened an eye. _Here we go._

"Really?" the crocodile asked.

"It's _her_ that's caught _my_ attention," Zephyr finished.

Espio's eyes went completely open in shock. _Well... that's a twist._

"Really?" Vector asked again, this time with more cunning in his voice, a toothy smirk plastered upon his face. "See, Espio? I told you!"

"Told me what?" the ninja asked.

"I told you before that the Kid and him were destined to be together! And you didn't believe me! HA!"

 _And he says_ I _have an ego._

"So that's what you two were talking about," Zephyr said. "I was wondering about that. You know, Ms. Vanilla did mention her a bit after you guys left, saying how she has a good heart... and pretty eyes."

Vector chuckled. "The Kid may deny, but you're a true guy," he said.

"What does that even mean?" Espio asked.

"It means he's got a shot at getting the girl."

 _Oh no... He's thinking about_ that...!

"Vector the Crocodile, the Love Expert, is at your service, Zephyr."

 _Oh God... What are we in for now?_

"Boys, pay attention. We're gonna make sure that the Kid and Zephyr are gonna get together."

"We are?" Charmy asked.

Espio let out a sigh.

"What? What's with that, Espio?" Vector asked.

"Don't you think it's a little ridiculous to try and force two people to be together?" the ninja questioned. "Besides, if you try and fan the flames, you'll end up getting burned."

"Ah, ignore him, Zephyr. We're gonna do this."

"I, uh, really appreciate the offer," Zephyr started, "but I'm gonna go with Espio here. Cheyenne's smart; she'll know that something's up."

Vector scoffed. "What the Kid don't know won't hurt her. Now, here's how we'll do it..."

 _By the end of this, I'm sure someone's head going to be taken off. After all, Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned._

"Sorry Vector," Zephyr interrupted. "But I'm not going to trick someone into falling in love with me." He took a quick breath. "Cream, I'll be right outside if you need anything." He went out the door as Espio glanced out the window, seeing the wolf sitting on the steps of the porch.

 _Vector's 'persistence' can only go so far until it could end up killing him._

Vector suddenly started chuckling mischievously. "Like I was gonna tell him to his face," he said. He went to the phone and dialed a number.

Espio felt an imaginary sweat drop go down the side of his face. _Like I said, his 'persistence' could get him killed._

* * *

The next day, Cheyenne was found sleeping in. Espio couldn't help but smirk. Probably tired from whatever she was doing, he thought. But then his smirk faded, knowing well of Vector's 'plan'. _And if she were to find out Vector's intent, then she'd be really,_ really _pissed off._ He reached out to wake her up, but for an odd reason hesitated. Usually, he'd never hesitate whenever it came to a dangerous situation, so why now would his steel nerve leave him? It was only a girl... with possibly a dark secret. Shaking himself out of it, he shook her gently.

She let out a small groan as her sleepy eyes fluttered open. "What, Espio?" she asked as she started to sit up.

"I, that is to say Vector was thinking of taking a day off," the ninja replied.

She stretched. "Really, now? That's cool."

"Another beautiful day!" Vector strolled down the stairs, happy as a lark. "You know what I'm thinking?"

"That you should get a quieter voice box?" Cheyenne asked.

"Ha ha, funny. I'm thinking that we'll go take a little walk, and perhaps... have a little picnic."

Espio mentally sighed. _And thus the plan unfolds._

"A picnic, eh?" she asked. "That actually sounds nice."

"Charmy! Get the picnic basket!"

"Sure thing, Boss!" Charmy squeaked excitedly, quickly flying into the kitchen.

"Espio, make sure things go... smoothly."

The ninja quietly sighed then said aloud, "Roger that."

"What can I do?" Cheyenne asked.

"Uh, well..." Vector stuttered. "You could... get dolled up."

She raised an upset eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Ah, nothing! Forget I said anything!" The crocodile started sweating a bit nervously. He cleared his throat. "Charmy, ya got that picnic basket yet?"

"Right here!" Charmy said, coming back with the basket in hand.

Cheyenne grabbed the basket from the young bee. "Uh, Vector, this feels kinda... light," she said, then looked inside. "There isn't any food in here at all." She eyed Vector suspiciously. "What's going on here?"

"Alright, you caught me red-handed," Vector spoke.

The ninja quietly smirked to himself. _I knew this plan wouldn't work._

"Truth be told, Kid, Zephyr's bringing the food."

Espio's smirk faded. _Of course... How could I forget about Zephyr? He doesn't know that he's a pawn._

"Really. Zephyr is," she said. "That kinda sounds like him... But then, what do we need this for?" She pointed to the empty basket.

"Charmy, you know what to do," Vector said.

"Yessir!" Charmy squeaked, taking the basket back and quickly flying out the door.

"Where's Charmy going?" Cheyenne asked in suspicion.

"That doesn't matter," the crocodile retorted as he grabbed a folded up picnic blanket. "What matters is the location. Follow me, you two."

As the girl and ninja followed their boss, Cheyenne leaned over and whispered to Espio, "Are you getting the feeling that something's not right?"

"I've been feeling it ever since he woke up," he whispered back. "Why do you ask?"

"I just feel like something's amiss." She looked him right in the eyes. "If he tries something stupid... I don't know what I'd do. You'll tell me if he's up to something, right?"

"...Of course." _Well... it's not exactly a lie, but it isn't the truth, either._

The location where the 'picnic' was taking place was on a quiet hill with a gentle breeze blowing by. Vector laid the blanket on the ground, smoothing it out.

"Oh hello, Detective."

Espio glanced up when he saw Ms. Vanilla approaching, alongside Zephyr, Charmy, and Cream. Vector had his back turned to her, but his face was instantly turning a light shade of pink as soon as he heard her voice. The crocodile slowly turned around to see her.

"Why, Ms. Vanilla!" Vector said as he turned to face her, trying to be confident. "It's nice to see you here!"

 _I don't believe she was a part of the plan. Maybe Zephyr's trying to flip it on us..._

"I know you only invited Zephyr to this little soiree," Ms. Vanilla said, "but he was kind enough to bring Cream and I along with him. Such a gentleman."

"Great." Vector's eye started twitching. "Really great."

"Vector, keep calm," Espio whispered to his boss. "You don't want to ruin your own plan, do you?"

"You're right, you're right," he whispered back. He cleared his throat and said aloud, "Now then, let's get this thing started, shall we?"

The picnic commenced without too much a hitch. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves until Espio saw Vector remove the gold chain from his neck and tried to nonchalantly drop it a few feet down a slope between Cheyenne and Zephyr. Espio quietly groaned to himself. _I guess this is it._

"Oh, darn, my chain came off," Vector said, then glanced over and Cheyenne and Zephyr. "Say, could one of you two be a pal and get my chain for me? It's sorta my good luck charm."

"I'll get it," Cheyenne said, starting to reach for it.

"No!" Vector whispered through gritted teeth. " _He's_ supposed to get it! He is!"

And just like that, Zephyr stopped her. "No, let me," he said.

Espio sighed. _If only he'd let her grab it..._ He quickly camouflaged himself as the wolf reached for the chain. Being quick as he could, the ninja pushed Zephyr into Cheyenne and the two went tumbling down the hill.

"Oh, my goodness!" Ms. Vanilla exclaimed as she saw them roll to the bottom.

Quickly turning visible again, he glanced down the hill with the others, seeing them both at the bottom of the hill. She laid on top of him, but she didn't seem to notice that yet.

"Man, they went down that hill fast!" Charmy said.

"I hope they're okay," Cream said worriedly.

"Nice work, Espio," Vector congratulated the ninja. "Now they're gonna get together for sure."

"I wouldn't celebrate just yet," Espio said, then pointed. "Look."

Cheyenne quickly got off of Zephyr, appearing to be brushing herself off as she sat upright. Zephyr sat up not too long after.

"Keep watching, Espio," Vector said.

Espio kept looking on, and blinked in surprise when Zephyr started picking leaves out of her hair, and then they seemed to stare at each other a long while.

"See? What'd I tell ya? They're buildin' up that connection even as we speak."

 _Huh. One of Vector's plans actually worked._ Cheyenne started back up the hill. As she stepped closer, there seemed to be an angry look in her eyes. _On second thought, it might've worked too well._

"Vector, out of curiosity," she started, "did you happen to have the idea that you thought that Zephyr and I were destined to be together?"

"No, of course not," the crocodile answered nonchalantly. "What gave you that idea?"

"...Uh-huh. Right." She held out her hand, placing Vector's chain on his snout. "Here's your chain back."

* * *

Wrapping up the picnic sometime later, all members of the Chaotix were walking back to the agency. Espio glanced over at Cheyenne, her eyes still angry and looking right at the crocodile.

"Confess," she said to him.

"What?" Vector asked.

"Confess."

"I have nothing to confess about. It's not like you're gonna get me to-"

"Confess, or I'll tell Ms. Vanilla about your feelings for her."

That made Vector stop in his tracks and started staring her down. "What makes you think you'll do that?"

A smirk came upon her face. "So you're gonna confess about your plan to hook me and Zephyr up, then?"

"I told you that there's nothing for me to-"

"Oh, hi, Ms. Vanilla! You know Detective Vector, right? You know how he seems to blush whenever you talk to him? Oh, you haven't? Well, that's because he's in love with-"

"Alright, ALRIGHT! Fine! I confess! I planned it all! There! Are ya happy now?!"

She chuckled a little. "Very."

"You don't go breathing a word to her, got it?"

"My lips are sealed."

Espio couldn't help but smirk. _Putting on a scenario to get someone to confess. She's really struck him out._ A small chuckle escaped him.

"You find something funny?" Vector questioned.

The ninja shook his head. "Nothing at all," he said.


	8. Ninjutsu Lesson

About 3 weeks later had marked two months since Cheyenne had joined the detective agency. She actually changed a little ever since the three met her. She seemed to have grown taller, and doesn't fumble and trip over obstacles as much anymore. Her diet had changed as well, eating healthier and drinking more water. With all these changes, it seemed to the ninja that she had something going on.

Early one morning, Espio got up and quietly made his way outside, standing several feet away from the agency. He made a quick jump in the air and made a backflip onto the roof. He pulled out several shuriken as he readied himself with some ninja poses, and quickly threw the ninja stars into the trees. He jumped off the roof, performing a double front flip, landing on the ground with ease. Camouflaging himself, he pulled out three kunai daggers. He threw one into a rock, the second into a tree trunk, and the third into a railing on the porch. Turning visible again, he saw Cheyenne standing on the porch. She had been watching, apparently. He walked to the railing, pulling the kunai out.

"You seem impressed," he said.

"It's just," she spoke, "I've always thought ninjas were pretty cool, how they sneakily enter a building without getting spotted, all the cool ninja weapons they have."

A small smile grew on the ninja's face. "I am quite impressive, aren't I." He glanced up at her. "I'm sure you'd want to learn some of my moves."

She turned surprised, and a little sheepish. "Who? Me? I-I don't think I could pull off some of those ninja tricks."

"Nonsense. Anyone can learn the art of Ninjutsu. It takes time, patience, as well as perseverance and discipline. Do you want to try?"

She thought a moment. "I'll think about it. Right now, it's time for my walk. See ya later, Espio." She walked for the woods.

Espio looked at her until she was no longer in his sight. _If she's going to learn Ninjutsu, she has to be committed. Otherwise, how would she protect herself from the danger that lurks in the shadows?_ He retrieved the other two kunai from the tree and rock. _I guess I have to wait for her answer._ He walked up to the door and was about to go in, but stopped. _On second thought... I can get her answer now._ He quickly turned around and went into the forest, jumping from tree to tree as he searched for Cheyenne. After a few minutes, he stopped on a high branch, glancing down at Cheyenne and Zephyr having a conversation. The ninja camouflaged himself, just in case one of them were to see him.

"So, where are you headed?" Zephyr asked Cheyenne.

"Uh, well... I'm just walking about, getting some fresh air," she replied.

The wolf just stared at her, which made Espio a little intrigued. _Why is he just staring at her? She just said she was walking._

Finally, the wolf said, "I'm not sure if it's me, but you look taller."

"Yeah, uh, I think it might be a growth spurt or something," Cheyenne said.

"Hey, listen, if you're not doing anything at the moment, maybe we could go into town and hang out."

The ninja sat back a little, a small smirk forming on his invisible face. _Huh. Vector should have let them be instead of interfering with them. They're letting their relationship blossom naturally._ He felt his smirk fade. _'I know you're not the most social of the team.'_ Those words echoed in his head. Why now would he be remembering that, he thought. It wasn't like she's some sort of influence in his life. _Or maybe..._

* * *

The ninja returned to the agency half an hour before noon and told Vector what he overheard.

"My plan totally worked!" the crocodile spoke with a small chuckle. "It took a little more time than I expected, but-"

"Vector, your plan backfired when she called you out," the ninja interrupted, "and basically threatened to tell Ms. Vanilla of your... ahem, 'secret.'"

"Ah, the Kid wasn't gonna tell her anythin'. She was bluffing."

The ninja raised an unconvinced eyebrow. "Really. She didn't seem to be bluffing to me."

"So are Chy and Zephyr gonna be boyfriend and girlfriend?" Charmy asked.

"We'll see, Charmy," Vector replied. "We'll see."

Espio sighed. _If you keep raising your hopes like that, you're going to end up feeling crushed and depressed._

As the detectives let the day slowly crawl on by, Espio heard voices just outside on the porch. He glanced out the window and saw Cheyenne and Zephyr talking and laughing. He let his boss know, and sure enough, all three were glancing outside the window.

"Check it out, boys," Vector said. "Zephyr brought the Kid home safe and sound. Now that's boyfriend material."

"What're they saying?" Charmy wondered. "I wanna know! I wanna know!"

Espio shushed them both. "We'll learn more if we're silent," he said.

Everyone went silent as they watched on like a bunch of hawks. Espio slightly opened the window as quietly as he could so that they could at least hear what the two on the porch were saying.

"You know Zephyr," Cheyenne spoke, moving her hair from her face, "I actually had a nice time."

"Yeah, me too," Zephyr replied. "Perhaps we could, I don't know, do this again sometime?"

"Uh, sure." She shuffled her feet a little. "That'd be nice." She suddenly perked her head up and started turning her head to the window.

"Uh-oh!" Vector whispered. "Duck!"

The trio quickly ducked down under the window.

"What's wrong?" Zephyr asked.

"Uh, nothing I guess," Cheyenne replied after a brief moment of silence. "I thought I felt someone watching us."

After a quick breath of relief, the three detectives continued watching through the window. The ninja happened to glance at what Cheyenne was holding. Shopping bags, he thought. This'd be the first time she's brought anything back from her time with Zephyr.

"You know what?" Zephyr spoke. "How about I take us out to see a movie sometime? My treat."

"Gee, that's really nice of you," Cheyenne replied. "But I don't... uh, what I mean is..."

"OH FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, JUST SAY YES! HOW HARD IS THAT FOR YOU TO SAY?!" Vector shouted at her. He quickly covered his mouth, realizing what he just did.

At that moment, the two's attention were drawn directly to the window.

Espio felt sweat go down his face. _And_ _we're screwed._

"What the hell, guys?!" Cheyenne yelled.

"Before you say anything more," the ninja spoke, "this was all Vector's idea."

"That's bullcrap!" said the crocodile. "You're the one who alerted me!"

"But you thought it was a good idea to spy on their private conversation."

"But who opened the window? Not me!"

"I just wanted to know what was going on!" Charmy squeaked.

"I don't care who started what!" she interjected. "I'm gonna end it RIGHT NOW!"

"Quick, boys! The back door!" Vector instructed, and the three quickly ran out through the kitchen and out the door. The crocodile quickly barricaded the door with his own body, his back pressed up against it. "Well boys, it's been nice knowin' ya. We had our ups and downs, but overall, it was fun."

"I don't wanna die!" Charmy started crying.

Through the little bee's crying, Espio didn't hear any stomping in the building. "Hmm..." he wondered. He snuck along the side of the building, peeking from behind the corner. Zephyr was talking to her about something, but the ninja couldn't quite hear exactly what the wolf was saying. But he could tell from the situation was that he was calming Cheyenne down. After a little bit of talking, the wolf started on his way. Espio waited a moment until approaching the girl. "I take it you don't want to kill us?" he asked her.

She glanced over at him, then shook her head. "Nah, not anymore," she said. "Zephyr told me what was going on with you three. You're just looking for me, right? Is that why you were listening in on us?"

"More or less. That was more like spying on two people and their private conversation... and almost getting murdered."

She laughed a little. "I know you guys mean well. You just tend to overreact sometimes."

A small, amused smile came upon the ninja's face. "I'll let Vector and Charmy know that our lives have been spared." He walked back to where he left Charmy and Vector, seeing their relieved faces after being told that the girl wasn't going to kill them.

"Oh, I knew she wouldn't kill us," the crocodile said calmly. "I totally called her bluff."

"What bluff? She looked very serious."

"That's what she wants ya to believe."

Espio quietly sighed. _It seems we have come full circle._

* * *

The next morning around sunrise, Espio was surprised to see Cheyenne hadn't left for her 'early morning walk'. She was just sitting on the couch, appearing to be waiting for the ninja. "Usually, you would be deep in the forest right about now," he said to her as he approached.

"Espio," she started. "I thought about your offer a lot, and... well... I wanna learn Ninjutsu!"

He blinked a couple times in surprise. _That's sudden._

"It's just... I want to make sure I can defend myself, you know, and well... I don't know any other expert fighters." She chuckled a bit nervously. "What I'm asking is... will you teach me Ninjutsu?"

 _Huh. It's almost like she read my mind the other day. Although... there might be some anterior motive._ "Very well," the ninja said calmly. "We can begin now. Follow me outside."

She followed him without any hesitation as the came to the middle of the clearing outside the front of the building. "Oh, thank you so much, Espio! This is gonna be so awesome!"

 _I think it's time to introduce the first lesson._ Without any warning, he grabbed her arm and threw her to the ground. She laid there in silence a moment, trying to comprehend what had happened, her eyes widened and mouth agape. "The first lesson of Ninjutsu," he said hovering over her, "is to always expect the unexpected."

"...Ow," she groaned as she slowly sat up. "That's gonna hurt in the morning."

"The hurting means that it's working. Now, stand."

She stood up, turning to face the ninja. She rubbed her arm a little. "You didn't have to pull so hard, you know. You could've ripped my arm out of its socket."

"Impossible." A dark smirk crept upon his face. "I would have pulled on it with a little more force, killing the nerves in that arm as it would have been pulled out of its socket."

Her eyes widened again. "That is some dark humor you got there. I'm not sure whether to laugh or cower in fear."

His smirk faded. "Let's continue."

He taught her some defense moves that he had learned from his sensei before him. Soon after, he came at her as she tried to defend herself with some of the moves she learned. She made one successful block; the rest of the time, she was being knocked to the ground as if she were a lightweight punching bag. As she laid there, heavily breathing and sweating, Espio analyzed her fighting style while waiting for her to get back on her feet.

 _She doesn't move all that much. She needs to move around so that she could defend herself from attacks while keeping the perfect footing. It seems I've got my work cut out for me._

Cheyenne slowly got back on her feet. "C'mon," she said. "One more round. I can take it."

The ninja took a closer look and saw she had a cut on her cheek, a little blood trickling down her face. "Perhaps a change of pace would be good as a break," he said.

"Why?" She inadvertently wiped her cheek, seeing her own blood on her hand. "Oh. I guess that's a good enough reason."

"I didn't intend to-"

"Oh, relax. When I was little, I'd get bumps, scratches, and scrapes all the time. This little cut is nothing." She sharply inhaled as soon as she touched the cut. "Although, this stings a little more."

"Now, then." He sat down cross-legged. "Sit."

She raised a skeptical eyebrow, but sat across from him anyway. "So, what are we doing now?"

"Meditating." He closed his eyes.

"Of course, because meditating can not only calm the body down, but also help you reflect on what you know, and it can also heightens your senses to their maximum level, and-"

Espio cleared his throat to interrupt her. "Though what you say is true, it usually helps if you are _silent_."

"Oh. Right. Sorry." She took a deep breath, remaining silent.

The ninja opened an eye, and sure enough, she was meditating, eyes closed and everything. _She must have watched so many movies and television shows to come up with that kind of biography of meditation. Then again, it's actually a good take on it._ He closed his eye again. _Even though I'm not a master myself, I'm sure Master Fumio would be impressed with me._ Master Fumio. He hadn't thought about his sensei in a long time. He was a wise old man, not without his wisdom, guidance, and great abilities. Why it was now that Espio thought of him, he'll probably never know.


	9. Wise Words and Revealed Secrets

For the rest of the day, Espio continued training the young girl. She was exhausted, of course, but the more she did it, he thought, the easier it would be. After returning inside, she slunk to the couch and laid down on it. The ninja couldn't help but smirk amusedly. He assumed that she must have never worked out so much in the past before. Then his smirk faded, not knowing if she was to be fully committed to the intense training that lied in wait for her. He figured he'd have his answer the next morning.

* * *

"Master Fumio! Master Fumio! Watch this!" A younger Espio stood ready, then performed a hi-jump kick, landing perfectly on his feet. "I finally figured out how you did it! Wait until I get on your level, Sensei, because I'm gonna be the greatest ninja ever!"

The old master, a yellow-grayish rat with light purple eyes, looked at the young ninja-in-training. "Espio," he said. "Because you have learned how to perform a perfect hi-jump kick doesn't mean you should gloat about it."

The young chameleon pouted, crossing his arms. "Why not? I want the whole world to know!"

"The best trait a ninja can have is not pride, but humility. You must be modest about your skills, never boastful."

Espio stopped pouting as he heard his sensei's words. "Oh, really?" He rubbed the back of his neck. "Gee, I guess I never thought about it like that."

Master Fumio smiled, then patted his young student on the head. "You are still young. There are still many lessons for you to learn. Now, show me a double dragon punch."

Espio smiled. "Alright, Sensei! I know I can do that one!"

* * *

His eyes shot open in the darkened room, staring at the ceiling a moment before realizing what he had dreamt about. Why did he suddenly dream of his childhood days, and why now? Espio never dreamt anything of the sort. In fact, he never dreamt at all. He sat up, placing a hand on his forehead. The ninja shook his head a little, and gently closed his eyes again.

* * *

The next morning, when the ninja went to see if Cheyenne was there on the couch, she was nowhere; she had gone. _I somehow knew she couldn't keep her promise._ He shivered a little. _I know this feeling. Winter's coming._ Espio turned to the window, seeing little white flakes gently fall. He suddenly had a sinking feeling. _I hope she doesn't get into trouble._

The day went on as usual, with the heater cranked all the way up. Since Espio and Vector were cold-blooded, the heat was often a little too much for little Charmy.

"It's too hot," he whined a bit. "Can you turn the heat down, please?"

"Sorry, Charmy," Vector said. He wore a thick, heavy gray sweater. "You know how Espio and I don't do well in the cold. We gotta keep the heat up." Then he mumbled, "Even though the landlord would be _thrilled_ to get his money's worth."

"Even landlords have to eat," Espio said.

"Shut up, Espio. And where's the Kid? I thought she'd be doing ninja moves with you."

 _That's what I thought._ "I'm sure she'll be around... later."

But as the day went by, she hadn't come back... not even at sunset, her usual time. The outside had become dark, covered in a blanket of white snow. Charmy was by window looking out for her, waiting. The ninja glanced out the window occasionally as well, but he started to feel that something was wrong. Really wrong. Vector had grown very impatient, drumming his fingers on his desk. Finally, the crocodile slammed his hands down on the desk, standing.

"That's it!" he declared. "Boys, this is a search-and-rescue! We're going out!"

Espio grabbed a black coat. Usually, he was never fond of the cold, even as a child. But if there was an emergency, he would do what it would take to get past that. The three detectives went out into the snowy forest, calling for her as they went along.

"Where is she?" Charmy asked.

"I don't know," the croc replied. "But I got a bad feeling, and it's right on my nose." Some snow fell from a high branch of a tree, landing right on his snout.

"Really? All I see is snow on your nose."

He shook the snow off his snout. "Enough talking! Let's keep looking."

The ninja looked around, trying to sense something through the darkened trees. _Where could she have gone? It's not like she disappeared into thin air._ A low rumbling took his attention suddenly, straight ahead from where he stood. "Vector, this way," he said, and quickly took the lead, the other two quickly following behind.

"Hey, Espio! I'm the leader here!"

 _That noise... I just know Eggman's up to something again. I don't want her to be involved._

The three detectives suddenly stopped, seeing a giant robot gorilla, possibly the size of King Kong. Floating next to it was indeed Eggman in his little carrier, and in the robot's giant hand was Cheyenne. It seemed the robot was crushing her, for she let out a pained scream.

"That thing's gonna kill her!" Charmy squeaked. "What are we gonna do?!"

 _I warned him. Now he'll pay the price...!_

Vector bent down, picking up a rock. "Hey, Egghead! Take this!" he called, and threw the rock at Eggman.

"WHO THREW THAT?!" Eggman yelled. The rock must have hit him.

"Over here!"

Eggman and Cheyenne looked down, him not happy to see us, her the exact opposite.

"Guys!" she happily called.

"Ya know, Eggman," Vector said, "this is not the way to treat a young lady."

"Yeah! You're rotten!" Charmy yelled.

"Now you shall feel our wrath," Espio said. _And then some._

"Actually, you'll feel mine," Eggman said maliciously. "KD-207, engage attack mode!"

Without warning, the robot threw Cheyenne high into the air.

"CHARMY! CATCH HER!" Vector shouted.

"On it!" Charmy said, and quickly took off into the air after the screaming girl.

"And now to deal with Monkey Boy 2000."

After Charmy had safely brought Cheyenne back to the ground, the three detectives tried their best to take the robot down. But no matter what they did, as the robot fought back, they didn't seem to even put a dent in it. As Espio fought on, he tried finding a weak spot. But it seemed there wasn't any he could see. It wasn't long until all three were on the ground, bruised and bleeding.

"Kiss your lives goodbye, detectives," Eggman said in a dark, malicious tone. "KD-207... Eliminate them."

The robot raised a leg, ready to finish them in one fell swoop.

 _I guess this is it..._ Espio just closed his eyes, willingly ready to accept his fate. Suddenly, footsteps were heard, coming from behind the three, then stopping in the front. The ninja opened his eyes and saw Cheyenne standing there, arms spread out, as if she was trying to protect them. _What is she doing?! She'll be killed with us!_

"What the hell are ya doin', Kid?" Vector asked in a strained voice.

"I'm not standing back anymore," she spoke. "I'm gonna prove myself, one way or another, that I'm gonna be something great. If I were to die to become great, then so be it."

The ninja's eyes widened a bit. _Something... great?_

The crocodile laughed weakly. "What you're doin' is completely stupid."

"I don't care, croc! I just don't care!" A white glow started circling her. It was so bright, and also very warm.

"What in the world?!" Eggman exclaimed. "KD-207, KILL THEM ALL!" The robot dropped its leg quickly, but its foot quickly exploded into pieces when the white glow came into contact with it. "What is happening?!"

"Hey, Eggman!" Cheyenne shouted. "You wanna know why my energy levels are incredibly high? Here's why!" The white glow circled her faster and faster until a large creature of energy and power came into view. It looked serpentine in its form, but it was difficult for the ninja to tell. "Say goodbye to your precious robot! _Shiro Tatsu... KOWASHITE_!" With her hand held out, the creature immediately went right through the robot's torso, as if it were nothing. The attack resulted in an explosion that sent Eggman away, while everyone else was protected in some kind of protective force field.

When the white glow had diminished and the smoke cleared, the trees throughout the area were completely destroyed. The force field had vanished as well. The three detectives managed to pull themselves to their feet.

"Okaaay," Vector started slowly. "Can anyone explain what the hell just happened?"

The response to his question was a thud a few feet ahead of the three. Cheyenne had passed out.

"Chy!" Charmy squeaked as the detectives rushed to her aid. "Is she okay?!"

Espio checked her pulse. "She's fine," he said. "She'll be unconscious for a while, though."

"She's starting to get cold," Vector said as he picked her up. "Gotta get her back to the agency."

* * *

After getting her settled on Espio's bed - Vector quickly made a Nose Goes on deciding who's bed she should occupy for a while, and somehow, the ninja ended up losing - Vector, Charmy, and Espio regrouped on the main floor, pondering in their heads what had happened, especially Espio.

 _That strange power she displayed. Was that what she was hiding all this time?_

There was a knock at the door, interrupting everyone's thoughts.

"Now who could that be?" Vector asked. "And at this hour?" When the crocodile opened the door, a couple of familiar faces were present. "Silver? Blaze? What are you two doing here?"

"Uh, well," Silver started as he and Blaze entered, "we sort of found a part of the forest destroyed, and we kinda know what happened."

Vector raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Care to explain?"

The gray hedgehog looked over at the purple cat, as if asking permission. Blaze gave a quick nod, Silver looking back at the team. "I'm pretty sure you guys have seen Cheyenne acting strange for a long while," he said.

 _Not Vector and Charmy, perhaps._ "So what's been going on?" Espio asked.

"Well, truth be told... she isn't exactly _completely_ human. She's actually half Immortal."

The Chaotix detectives' eyes widened in shock as dramatic gasps were let out of their mouths.

"Wait... what's half Immortal mean?" Charmy innocently asked.

"Whoa whoa WHOA!" Vector said "Hold the frick up! You mean to say that the Kid's a god?!"

"A demi-god, actually," Silver replied. "I said that she's _half_ Immortal."

Espio was quiet as he pieced everything together. _The force field, the creature, the fiery light. It all adds up. Why didn't she tell us about this before?_

"So... if she _is_ a god, why didn't she say anythin' about it?" the crocodile asked.

"That's the thing," the hedgehog stated as-a-matter-of-factly. "She's not supposed to say a word about her power. That's sort of why we don't see the Immortals hanging out with us on a daily basis."

"How do you know about any of this, anyway?"

"We're her teachers. Blaze teaches her how to control her powers and how to apply them in combat, and I teach her the rest of the important basics." He paused. "Not trying to change the subject, but how _did_ she manage to blow up the trees like that?"

Vector shrugged. "Hard to say. We were about to be killed by Eggman's giant robot, and here comes the Kid tryin' to act like the hero. Then there was a white light that just went right through the hunk of junk like it was nothing, and then the robot exploded."

Silver's golden-yellow eyes widened with surprise and fear. "Oh, my God...! What about Cheyenne? Is she okay?"

"She's fine," the ninja interjected. "She's upstairs resting. The light she unleashed very likely wore her down."

"Oh, that's good." He took a deep breath. "I just hoped she couldn't do too much damage until after her training was complete."

"Ya know," Vector spoke, "I always figured something was up whenever she would go out for a walk every day."

"When have you thought that?" Espio asked.

"I've had my suspicions, Espio, so don't doubt me."

 _I'm sure you have._ A small sneeze came from up the stairway. The ninja couldn't help but smirk as everyone's attention was drawn to the stairs. _She must have been listening in on us._ "It seems we have a spy."

"Busted!" Charmy sang.

"Come on down, Kid, we know you're there," Vector said.

Cheyenne slowly descended the stairs, surprised to see Silver and Blaze. "What are you doing here?" she asked Silver.

"Well," he started a bit nervously, "it's because you sort of, uh..."

"You freaked out and destroyed Eggman's gorilla bot," Vector finished for him.

"With FIRE!" Charmy piped up. "And a giant white, uh... THINGY!"

"And you were able to protect us with a kind of force field," Espio said.

She appeared confused at first, but then quickly remembered, for she covered her face with her hands as she sat down on the couch. "Oh, no...!" she said. "I can't believe I did that! I'm such a freaking moron!"

Espio just looked at her.

"Aw, c'mon, you're not a moron," Vector said. "You were smart enough not to tell us about this whole god training thing when ya did."

"Immortal training," she corrected.

"Potato, po-tah-to."

"Wait..." She turned her gaze at Silver. "You told them? Why, Silver?"

"I had to tell them," he said. "They had no idea what happened." He turned to the Chaotix. "Anyway, I hope you three can understand the current situation."

"It's no problem at all," Vector said. "We'll send her over in a couple days when she's ready to go."

"We'll see ya later, Cheyenne." He and Blaze left.

The room was filled with silence, no one uttering a word.

"Well, I'm gonna go get a sandwich," Vector spoke. "Charmy, ya want one?"

"Uh-huh," the young bee squeaked.

"How 'bout it, Espio?"

"No thank you," the ninja replied.

"Want a sandwich, Kid?"

Cheyenne just slowly shook her head.

"Alright, then. More sandwiches for the two of us." The two headed into the kitchen.

Suddenly, Cheyenne said, "Just say it, already."

"Hmm?" the ninja questioned.

"Don't play dumb. You knew that I was doing something suspicious. I bet you even thought of trying that ambrosia tea again, but were too afraid of the consequences. You had to bide your time and wait for the opportune moment to say 'I was right; you were hiding something.' Now brag away."

Espio couldn't help but feel a bit sorry and sympathetic. _She seems... defeated._ He shook his head. "I'm not going to brag about me being right."

"Why not? You have every right to."

"I was taught that the best trait a ninja can have isn't pride, but humility."

"Humility?" She scoffed. "That sounds a little redundant."

"It depends on one's perspective, I guess." He paused. "You can have my bed for the night. I barely sleep during the winter anyways."

"Oh, uh, alright. Goodnight, then." She got up from the couch, heading up the stairs.

Espio quietly sighed as Vector and Charmy returned from the kitchen, sandwiches in hand. "I take it you two have been listening."

"Of course," Vector said, then took a bite of his sandwich.


	10. Friends

There was peace and quiet in the agency the next morning. At least, it _was_ quiet until Charmy starting complaining about boredom.

"I'm bored," he squeaked.

Espio opened an eye. "Why not go outside and play in the snow?" Espio suggested.

The young bee perked up. "Hey, yeah! I _can_ do that, can't I!"

The ninja smirked. Charmy was always easily amused, so it was very easy to keep him occupied... for a little while.

"Hey, Chy! You wanna go out and build a snowman with me?"

Espio glanced over at Cheyenne sitting on the couch, appearing to be in deep thought.

"Chy? CHY! Why won't you answer?!" Charmy started poking her shoulder, finally getting her attention.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Charmy," she spoke. "Did you say something?"

 _She must be trying to figure out what happened the other night. No wonder she seems distracted._

"I was just asking if you wanted to go out and build a snowman or something," Charmy squeaked.

"Oh, uh, no thanks," Cheyenne replied.

"Why not? Scared of the snow?"

"Charmy, leave her be," Espio spoke up. "What happened last night was very new to her."

"And no matter how many ways I put it," Cheyenne said, "or how many times I try to fit it together, it doesn't make any sense. I don't think I can piece it together..."

The ninja closed his eye again. "Try not to think about it too much. You might go a bit crazy trying to find the answer."

"Yeah, Kid, relax a little," Vector said. "Loosen up."

A knock on the door perked everyone up. "I'll get it!" Charmy called, buzzing over to the door. A turn of the knob and the door squeaking open, and... "ZEPHYR'S HERE!"

"CHARMY, DON'T YELL!" Vector shouted.

 _I could say the same to you, Vector..._ Espio opened his eyes, Zephyr indeed walking into the building.

"There's always something new with the Chaotix crew," Zephyr said as sat down next to Cheyenne. "You know, I heard this really loud explosion last night."

Cheyenne looked away a moment, then looked back at the wolf. "Really?" she spoke.

"Yeah, and when I went to check it out, the trees in the area looked like they were blown away. Silver was there, too. He said that you guys were involved in a scrape with Eggman." He took her hands, not looking away from her. "I just wanted to make sure if you were alright."

Her face turned red really fast. "Uh, yeah, We're alright. I-I'm fine." She looked away from him, a bit embarrassed. "Just fine."

Vector, who had been standing behind her, started snickering. "What's the matter, Kid?" he asked in a smug tone. "Cat got your tongue?"

Cheyenne moved her leg in a quick kick, a successful hit... below the belt. What impressed, yet scared Espio was that she did it without looking. The crocodile groaned in pain as he folded up like a lawn chair, hands between his legs. The ninja glanced over at Zephyr, who apparently saw what happened to Vector seemed to have sweat nervously a bit, though his face didn't falter... much. His ears sank a little bit, for they usually stood erect.

"So, Zephyr," she spoke. "Other than checking up on us tough-as-nails detectives, what brings you by?"

"Oh, well, I figured if you're not busy," the wolf started, "there's this place that I think you'd really like to see, especially at night. You wanna go check it out? That is, if you want to."

"Uh, sure. I'd love to."

He smiled. "Great. I'll see ya later, then." He got up and left.

Cheyenne's face remained bright red as Vector slowly stood back up on his feet, even though in great deal of pain. "I think I'll take a little nap," she said, then laid on the couch, eyes closing gently.

Not only was Vector in pain, he also became angry. _Very_ angry. Espio and Charmy had to quickly pull him to the kitchen before he could try and hurt her in any way.

"Why the hell did she kick me in the crotch?!" he yelled. "What'd I do to deserve that kind of punishment?!"

"Vector, she wasn't even looking," Espio said calmly. "She probably thought she hit your leg or something." He smirked a little bit. "On the other hand, though, I think you deserved it for trying to force them to be together and making fun of her."

"Oh, shut up!" He cringed as the pain resumed. "Let's see how _she_ likes it when I do the same to her!"

The ninja just rolled his eyes as he sighed hopelessly. "I think you need to recheck her anatomy."

"What do you mean?"

"Even though she's human, she's also _female_. She doesn't have the same parts as we do."

"How could you know that? She could be a hermaphrodite, or a transvestite even."

"What are those?" Charmy innocently asked.

"Well, Charmy, a hermaphrodite and transvestite are-"

"Something you'll learn about when you're old enough to understand," the ninja quickly interrupted. "Now go outside and make a snowman."

"Oh, okay," the little bee said, then went out the kitchen door.

The ninja looked back at his boss, slowly shaking his head. "You really need to stop doing that."

"Doing what?" the crocodile asked. "I'm just tryin' to teach him the facts of life."

"But do you really need to bring in other people's ways of living like that?"

"Hey, _you_ keep saying he needed to learn all this stuff."

"Yes, but he doesn't understand-"

"Ah, whatever. I'm going out for a walk." He walked out of the kitchen and through the front door in the main office.

The ninja just quietly sighed. Another day surviving his teammates. Another day living with a girl who was to be something more than he expected.

* * *

As the wintry day went on, Charmy came back inside and unintentionally tracked snow in the building, which Espio had to clean up. Some time after that, Vector came back from his walk shivering a lot and also tracked snow inside, which Espio also had to clean up. All through the while, Cheyenne was still asleep on the couch, laying unmoving, gently breathing.

Time passed by as the sun started to set in the cloudy sky. It was also the time when Zephyr had returned to take Cheyenne somewhere she would like. Espio was a bit suspicious about those words, but was also certain that she'd be safe.

The wolf didn't have time to even knock before Espio quickly opened it. "We've been expecting you," the ninja spoke calmly.

A yawn came from behind him. Cheyenne woke up just in time, he thought.

"Oh, Zephyr, you're here," she said, quickly getting to the door. She laughed a little. "Seems I took a longer nap than expected."

"You look refreshed," Zephyr said, then looked at the detectives. "Don't worry. I'll make sure nothing bad happens." The two walked into the wintry night.

Espio closed the door before too much of the cold got in.

"While those two are out," Vector spoke, "I'll be making us some hot chocolate."

"Yay! Hot chocolate!" Charmy cheered.

"That sounds fine," Espio said. Then a thought occurred to him. "Didn't it seem suspicious?"

"Huh?" Vector questioned.

"Zephyr said he talked to Silver about part of the forest getting destroyed the night before, and then he comes here worried about Cheyenne."

"That's perfectly normal. Now if you excuse me, I'm making the hot chocolate."

Although the hot chocolate was sweet, Espio couldn't shake the bitter dread looming over him. It was about half an hour when Vector and Charmy retired for the night, leaving Espio alone to wait for Cheyenne's return. As he waited, he thought about Zephyr's motives. _It seemed a little strange that he would show up out of the blue like that. The illusion that he was worried about her felt a bit rehearsed. He probably knows who Cheyenne really is, and is waiting for her to make a confession._

After another hour waiting, the ninja saw Cheyenne and Zephyr approach the building. The two hugged before going their separate ways. When Cheyenne entered, she appeared soaking wet. Her hair and clothes were darker than they should have been. The ninja kept the main light on just in case she would have gotten back later than expected.

Cheyenne finally turned to Espio, a smile on her face. "Oh, hey Espio," she said. "You're still up?"

"What happened?" the ninja asked. "Why are you wet?"

"Well, we were walking to the place Zephyr was talking about, but then he stops, and that made me stop. That was when he was about to confess his love for me. Trust me when I say that he was being so mushy about it, saying I was the total package, blah blah blah. But before he could say the official words, Eggman showed up, _again_ , and he starts attacking us. Zephyr tried his best defending me, but he ended up knocked out for a while as Eggman threw us over a cliff with jagged rocks and cold water. We were somehow spared from being skewered and were in cold, cold water. But with Zephyr out of it, I swam us back to shore. When he woke up, cold and soaked, we agreed to just be friends."

"Weren't you cold when you got out of the water?"

She thought a moment. "No, actually. I think it's because I have a fire element Immortal for a parent is why I can't be cold."

"Hmm. Interesting." He paused. "I'll let you sleep, then."

"Aren't you going to sleep?"

"I told you. I barely sleep through the winter. Not because I like the snow so much. It's mostly because of me being cold-blooded."

"...Espio the Chameleon, you need to sleep, and that's that." Her tone had turned sharp and stern, which made Espio a little surprised. "I get you don't like wintertime, but you shouldn't be forcing yourself to not sleep. I mean, how can you not be tired?"

The ninja opened his mouth to speak.

"And don't you dare say that meditation is a good substitute against insomnia."

He closed his mouth again.

"Now, march up those stairs and sleep in your nice, warm bed. Got it?"

He blinked a couple of times in astonishment, then he coolly slipped into a small smile. "I guess Vector was right about you."

She raised a curious eyebrow. "Right about what?"

"You've grown tougher. In fact, you've grown all together."

She glanced at the ground, shuffling her feet a little. "Gee, uh, thanks." She looked back up at him.

He felt his smile grow a bit. "Goodnight, Cheyenne." He turned off the light, then headed up the stairs. Vector and Charmy slept peacefully - well, if you counted Vector's snoring as peaceful. He slipped under the covers of his bed, and slowly drifted to sleep.

* * *

The snow was thick and heavy outside the dojo. As the other kids were outside playing, making snow angels and snowmen and having snowball fights, the young Espio stayed inside, looking out the window. He let out a tiny little huff.

"Something troubles you, my student?" Master Fumio asked as he made some tea.

"Sensei, is there something about me that I can't go outside when it snows?" the young chameleon asked.

"It is because you're cold-blooded. Your species is that of the chameleon. You wouldn't go so long in colder temperatures. Not as long as the other students, that is."

"What about Zander? Isn't he cold-blooded? He's a bullfrog."

"Yes, Zander is cold-blooded. But he's also bigger and older than you. He can withstand the cold longer than you can."

He stomped one foot. "That's not fair! He should be in here, too!"

"I'm sorry you feel that way, really I do, but that's how the world is. We cannot change it no matter how hard we try."

The young ninja let out a heavy sigh. "That stinks. I guess I'm still not gonna have any friends."

The old master placed a caring hand on his shoulder. "That is not true. You have one friend."

"No offense, Sensei, but I need friends closer to my age."

He chuckled a little. "No, Espio, I meant that there is someone out there in the world as alone as you are right now. They wish for a friend like you do."

Espio looked up at his master with hopeful eyes. "Really? You think so?"

The master nodded, a smile on his face. "Of course."


End file.
